Let's Mend History
by FullMoonMaiden
Summary: Female Reader x Elsa! Arendelle is one of the best places you have ever been, but there is one thing about the kingdom that you just couldn't stand. "Could you hurry up?" the lord hissed at you. You hated royals and nobility. So when you are faced with the queen and princess after years of separation, how will you handle your resurfacing feelings? Rated M for violence and language
1. Required Assistance

**Hello, my dears! So, I've been working on a Female Reader x Elsa story that has been posted strictly on , but my roommate has finally worn me down enough to upload it here. This is my first time writing in second person and it feels a little weird, but I hope you all enjoy it nontheless!**

* * *

Nothing ever really bothered you. Normally you could be seen with a large smile beaming across your face and a heartwarming laugh bubbling in your chest. You loved everyone in Arendelle, you knew everyone in the kingdom, and everyone loved you.

"Excuse me," a snobbish lord almost hissed, "but will this take much longer? I do have other things to do today."

Your face set in a firm scowl as you applied the finishing touches to the gold ring the man had requested you make for his wife. It was one of your finest pieces of work, despite the fact that it had been rushed by the customer. The expensive metal shone brightly as emeralds sparkled in the deep engravings around the band. A sense of pride swelled inside you as you finished polishing the piece of jewelry.

A yawn threatened to escape your lips, but you managed to conceal it. You had told the man that the ring would be completed in a week, a task that even some of the most skilled jewelers and smiths would have shuddered at, but he had insisted that it be done in two days. No, he had _demanded_ it.

The man standing pompously on the other side of the counter had greasy, slicked back black hair and a pencil moustache to mach. He was a shorter, heavier set man that implied that he never got out much and probably spent the majority of his time sitting at a desk and eating fine foods. A small pout puckered at his pencil thin lips as he tapped his many ringed fingers against the wood impatiently.

"Just one moment, my lord," you try to say in as sweet a tone as possible. You set the ring gently in a black satin box. A joyous smile spread across your lips as you catch your reflection in the glistening, precious metal.

You close the box and set it on the counter in front of the snobby noble on the other side. "Here you are, my lord. I must say that this has to be one of the best rings I've ever made. I hope it is to you and your wife's liking."

The short man huffed rudely. "We shall see." He opened the box and removed the ring. His tiny, black eyes scanned the piece of jewelry haphazardly before he placed it back into the box, closing the lid. "I suppose it will have to do. I will give you one-hundred for it."

Your eyes nearly fall out of your head. "Pardon me, my lord, but we settled on the payment of at least three-hundred for this ring."

The man snorted. "I would only pay three-hundred for this ring if a man of expert skills had made it. You, you are just a silly woman. A woman who is stuck running around doing any and all forms of handy work the royals assign, and a bastard at that. You should be happy that I even came to your shop to get this ring cast."

Anger boiled in your veins. You took a deep breath in order to keep your voice calm and collected. "Forgive me, Sir, but you came here because all the other jewelers refused your request to make such an intricate ring in two days when they knew it would take at least a week to get the gold band cast. I was able to cast this ring in the amount of time every master craftsman shuddered at the thought of. We had agreed that if I was able to finish the piece in the time allotted the cost would be three-hundred."

A small bark of laughter escaped the nasally man's lips. "In case you have forgotten, Miss, we had agreed that the due time for this ring to be completed would be by noon of this day. As you can see," he turned to the large clock in the middle of the town, "it is currently twelve-thirty in the afternoon. You are thirty minutes late in crafting, so I will only pay one-hundred for it."

Your hands curled into fists. This man could not be serious? He was the one who had been late to retrieve the ring, so you had decided to give it a little extra polish to make sure it radiated in the sunlight. You had been on time. This pompous asshole had not.

"My lord, I finished the ring in the time I was given. You were the one who is late to pick it up. I decided to give the ring an extra polish free of charge in order to show good feelings."

"You dare to talk back to a noble of Arendelle?" the portly man shouted. "Do you know who I am? I work directly in the queen's private council! You should be happy knowing that someone in the royal court is even at your shop offering you one-hundred for this piece of junk you call craftsmanship."

He swipped the box and stuffed it into his pocket. "I will give you ninety for the ring, and I assure you that the queen will be hearing of this scam you are trying to pull." He threw the money into your face and strutted off on short, pig-like stubs for legs.

You could feel the blood burning white hot as it sang through your veins. Steam was emanating from your mouth in thick waves as you tried desperately to calm yourself. Once the man was out of site, you knelt down and began picking up the money off the floor with shaking hands.

Correction: you loved everyone in Arendelle, except nobility.

A small whimper emanated from behind you and you felt something cold and wet nuzzle against the bared skin of your elbow where you had rolled your sleeves up to avoid getting polish on the cuffs. You tucked the money into your pocket and placed a hand on the wolf standing by your side. He was a large brute of a canine (standing as tall as you were), with dark grey fur speckled with white and razor sharp fangs, but a true sweetheart underneath. You had found him in the forest as a puppy trying to suckle on his dead mother's teat within a week before coming to Arendelle several years ago.

"Looks like we're going to have to stretch it tight this month, eh, Summit?" You scratched the spot behind his ear and he growled contently. "We'll only be twelve ahead once I pay the rest of the money for the materials used for that ring."

Summit whined sadly at you and licked your cheek.

"Aww, thanks, buddy," you nuzzled noses with the wolf and stood up. "Well, let's close shop and see what we can buy. I'll even spoil you a little and offer to help the butcher again to see if I can't get you a big pork bone for free."

The wolf's ears perked up and he barked excitedly as his bright red tongue lolled out of his mouth.

You exited the shop and locked the door before going over to the small forge, picking up the tools and materials you had left over and locked them away. You leapt over the railing and was about to sprint down the road when the sound of hooves flooded your ears. A loud, booming voice was heard shortly after.

"Miss, are you by any chance the famous Huntress of the Godswood?"

You turn and see a small squad of the queen's personal guard trotting up to you on their destriers. A small, irritated sigh escaped your lips. Great, more nobility; what did the royal council want from you now?

"I am. Might I ask what it is that the queen's personal guard wants with me?" You ask kindly, beaming a fake, sweet smile at the commander of the small platoon.

The man blushes slightly at your beautiful smile and clears his throat. "We require your assistance in an important matter. Would you please come with us?"

Summit growls at your side. You reach up and gently stroke his bristling scruff soothingly. The wolf relaxes somewhat, but his amber stare is still locked on the guardsmen and their nervous horses.

"Down, boy," you lock eyes with the commander. "What kind of assistance do you require of me?"

* * *

Queen Elsa sighed internally as her sapphire eyes roamed dully over the council members who were chatting idly amongst themselves before their meeting. She really did not want to be here. All she wanted to do was go outside and join Anna on her horseback ride through the forest.

The leaves were beginning to change colors so the forest was set ablaze with various shades of gold, red, and even pink. She always found autumn to be such a soothing season. It wasn't anywhere near as hot and uncomfortable as summer, but it still had the same happy effect on the people of her kingdom that seemed to disappear in winter.

The queen pushed her platinum blonde bangs out of her eyes and exhaled heavily. Her ice gown relaxed across her bust as her lungs released the large amount of air she had not noticed she had been holding. She would do anything to get out of this meeting.

"I still don't quite understand what the problem is," one of the council members stated calmly. He was eying up a golden ring encrusted with flawless emeralds and intricate designs molded into the band. "The craftsmanship is exquisite."

"The problem is that damn woman at that shop!" the portlier man nearly shouted. "That silly girl thought that I would actually pay her three-hundred for this piece of junk. What kind of man would pay that much for something a woman crafts, much less a bastard woman?"

"Wait, you mean you didn't pay three-hundred for this?" the second man stated, astonished at the shorter man's explanation. "How much did you pay?"

"I offered one-hundred, but the cunt exploded in a fury saying how I was late in picking it up and questioning my authority," the black haired man scoffed. "I took the ring and gave her ninety instead of the hundred I offered, but I should have her arrested for trying to swindle me. No one wants something that has been crafted by a bastard woman."

"Ninety?" the second man gasped, returning the gorgeous ring to the shorter man. "This ring is worth at least five, no, six-hundred! If anything, you swindled her! She only wanted three-hundred for this? I'll have to stop by and have her craft the ring I want for my fiancé!"

This obtained the queen's attention. She rose from her seat and waltzed over to the two men discussing the ring. "Might I have a look at this ring?"

The two men froze. This was the first time Queen Elsa of Arendelle had ever participated in any of the discussions held before a meeting. Something must have really captured her interest if she was suddenly joining in.

The portlier man held the ring up and Elsa took it in her slender fingers. Her eyes widened slightly in shock. The first thing she noticed about the ring was that it was light, very light. There was no doubt that whoever wore it would hardly even know it was there. The second thing she noticed was the fine material it was made of. The gold didn't have a single scratch and the emeralds were absolutely flawless, cut just perfectly to hold a fireburst pattern within the gem. Finally, she noticed the intricate design molded into the band.

"This must have taken quite some time to craft," she breathed in awe.

"She completed it in two days," the portly man informed. "All of the other jewelers had said that it would take a full week of just working on this ring to even get the band completed, but I had no intention of waiting a week. I went to this bastard woman's shop thinking that she would be so desperate for business that she would bend to my request, but even she had said that the other jewelers had been right. I demanded that she craft this ring for my wife and have it done by today. I left before she had any chance to deny my request."

Elsa's eyebrows narrowed at the haughty man in front of her. "Allow me to repeat this so I can see if I understand you correctly, my lord. You were denied by every jeweler in Arendelle because your expectations were far too high. You then decided to force this task upon a woman who you believed would not be able to complete it, so you made a deal with her in order to get the cheapest price. When you found that not only did she complete your ring, but did an excellent job at crafting it you paid her with less than a fifth of what this piece is worth. Does that sound about right?"

The portly man felt a bead of sweat roll down his face. "Well…if you say it that way, it sounds like I'm a crook. I assure you she tried-"

"It sounds like you are a crook because you swindled someone like a corrupt lord," Elsa stated firmly. She handed the ring back to the portly man and summoned her guards. "See to it that this man pays five-hundred and ten to the woman who crafted his ring and escort him from the castle. Also, do not allow him back onto the premises unless I have personally told you otherwise. We do not need corruption in our council."

The small, fat man looked around frantically as two guards grabbed either arm and dragged him from the hall. "Wait, your majesty, please! I beg of you! Don't do this! If I'm not in this council, I'm nothing!"

The portly man's pleas were silenced by the large, oak doors slamming behind them.

Elsa turned to her remaining council members and cleared her throat. "I apologize that you had to witness that. This meeting will be postponed until we have found a new council member. Meeting adjourned."

The men and women in the council filed out of the hall, passing quiet glances of approval at the queen for finally ridding that man from the council. Elsa could only sigh at the irony of the situation. She had wanted to get out of the meeting, but this hadn't been how she had planned on doing it.

* * *

**Short chapter, I know. The chapters in this story are going to be quite a bit shorter than from my Elsanna fanfic _"When Winter Met_****_ Summer". _Just try and bear with me as I try to update two stories at once. I just needed something to get my mind off of the other story for a while. I'm still working on it; don't worry.**


	2. The Hunt

"A bear?" You stared at the army commander incredulously. "You're making all this fuss over a bear?"

"It's not just any bear," the commander explained. "This bear has killed twenty individuals and completely wiped out five families living in the forests, most of which were fur traders. We've hired men from all over the kingdom to try and kill this thing, but we always find their corpses half eaten in the woods."

"It wasn't until the last hunter rejected our offer that we heard about the Huntress of the Godswood," the lieutenant interjected. "He had told us that there was a woman in Arendelle who had killed beasts that were three times the size of the wild animals here," he glanced at the giant wolf sitting by your side. "You match the description he gave to the very last detail."

You sighed heavily. One of your many talents was being an exceptional huntress and woods woman. You could track a trail over a month old; kill any animal, or any human for that matter, without them even knowing you were there. Your accuracy with a bow was fatal up to five-hundred meters, and dangerous up until fifteen-hundred. It was no surprise that someone would have suggested you for the job.

"So, the queen has requested that I kill this…bear…to keep her people safe?"

"The queen does not know about this," the commander stated in a hushed tone.

You choke on the water in your mug. "What? There's a rabid animal running loose in the kingdom killing entire families and the queen doesn't even know? What kind of a fucking government is this?"

"The queen has more important issues to deal with," the commander informed firmly. His eyes had narrowed at your crude language.

"Well, this sure seems like a pretty damn important issue!" You exclaimed. "What kind of ruler doesn't even know that her people are being killed? Someone in her status should at least know about this if not address it herself!"

"That's enough!" The commander shouted angrily. "Queen Elsa is a wonderful ruler to the kingdom! The only reason she doesn't know is because we have not told her!"

"Oh, yeah, because that's exactly what I want to hear about our monarch," you say sarcastically. "It's a little worrisome knowing that our queen is being denied information that directly involves her subjects.

The commander was so red in the face he was almost purple. "Are you going to take this job or not?" He asked irritably, his voice shaking with anger.

"Since this kingdom's army is so sophisticated that it can't even handle tracking and killing a man-eating bear, I suppose I should," you sassed the older man. "It's no wonder why no one even knows Arendelle even has an army or cavalry. The navy seems to be the only military branch that can do anything."

The commander shoved a letter into your hands roughly. You stared at him confusingly. "What is this?"

"The information you need in this assignment," the commander hissed through gritted teeth. "It has a description of the bear and the overall area where we believe he is hiding. It also has the forms you will need in order to receive your reward if you kill this thing."

You look over the contents of the letter and tuck it away into your pocket. "Very well, consider it done." You and the commander stand and shake hands before you turn and leave the officer's meeting room. However, you couldn't help but hear the hushed voices of the commander and his lieutenant's gossip as you closed the door.

"Isn't that the girl who was taken as a ward by the old king?"

"Yes, she is."

"I heard that her father had pulled a switch and sent her so that his full-blooded daughter wouldn't have to be subjected to being a hostage. Is it true? Is that girl really just a bastard?"

"That is also true."

"Then who knows? Maybe if we're lucky, she and the bear will kill each other. We don't need a bastard running around the castle, disgracing the royal family with her presence. I would even be fine if she died and the bear lived."

You tied your long, wavy hair up in a low ponytail to keep it from getting in your eyes as you crept from tree branch to tree branch. Your green cloak flowed behind you as you jumped from each branch effortlessly. Tears were still collecting on the edges of your eyes after hearing what the commander and his lieutenant said.

It wasn't surprising. Most of the royals and nobility, at least those who knew, wanted you dead. They wouldn't actually kill you themselves, but they would try to set you up so it would look like an accident. Everyone had wondered why the old king had decided to keep you around when he found out that you were just a bastard child, yourself included.

But now was not the time to be dwelling on that. You pulled your bow over your shoulders and ducked behind a bushel of golden leaves. A giant bear was standing in the small stream below you. Your prey was in sight.

You could understand how this bear had killed so many people. The bear was littered with scars in its golden brown fur, his claws were like mangled steak knives, and he was missing an eye. The beast stood on its hind legs and you were able to calculate that it was at least the size of three full grown men. Wisdom and bloodlust were swirling deep in its remaining eye.

"_That explains a lot,_" you thought to yourself as you pulled an arrow out of your quiver. "_He's not a regular bear. He's a guardian that's succumbed to hatred._" You set your bow and lock your arrow on the beast's heart. "_I'll have to make this quick. I can't give him the chance to charge._"

A loud snap filled the air. You and the monster bear turn towards the sound and see two women laughing as they rode their horses in your direction. One had cherry auburn hair with freckles spread over her cheeks and nose. The other was a platinum blonde with bright blue eyes.

"_Dammit! What the Hell are the queen and princess doing here?_" You thought bitterly.

You heard a heated grunt and exhale below you and looked down. The bear had seen the two women and was beginning to charge at them. A murderous intent could be seen in his eyes.

"Fuck!" You managed to squeak.

Elsa and Anna rode their horses in a steady trot as they laughed heartily at a joke the younger sister had said. They had managed to sneak out of the castle and retrieve their horses without anyone noticing them. Now they could spend the whole day together without having to worry about any royal duties interrupting them.

"I can't believe how easy that was," the queen admitted. "I've never snuck out of the castle before. It's rather exhilarating!"

Anna giggled excitedly. "I'll have to corrupt you some more then. I sneak out of the castle all the time! Next time we'll have to go see the people of Arendelle. They love it when I go into town and visit! I'm sure they'd nearly die of happiness when they see you!"

Elsa chuckled behind her hand. "Alright, next time we can go into town."

The queen's joyous banter was cut short by a soft grunt. She looked around the path and didn't see anything. She tried to listen for the sound again, but her little sister's rambling was making it difficult to hear anything.

"Anna, be quiet," she ordered.

The red head ceased her rambling and blinked at her sister confusingly. "Why? What's up?"

Elsa shushed the princess and scanned their surroundings. Their destriers were beginning to fidget and stomp the dirt irritably. Something was coming, but what? What was it? Which way was it coming from?

A loud roar cracked through the air and the two women whirled around just in time to see a monstrous bear charging at them out of nowhere. It was too close for them to run away, and their horses were neighing and thrashing about too wildly to control. Anna was finally able to turn her horse away from the snarling beast and bolt in the direction they had come from.

"Elsa, come on!"

The queen suddenly snapped out of her fear induced catatonic state and pulled hard on the reins. Her horse reared back wildly. She felt her hands slip from the reins and the ground came up to greet her as she fell.

"Elsa!" Anna screamed.

Elsa's eyes widened in fear as the bear charged. Everything was happening in slow motion. Her body was frozen in place. She could practically feel the beast's hot, rancid breath on her face. Her ice wasn't forming. Oh, God, this was how she was going to die.

"MOVE DAMMIT!"

She looked up just in time to see you launch yourself out of the tree with a bow and arrow in your hands. You landed on the bear's shoulders and fired your arrow into the nape of the beast's neck, causing the monster to rear back and shake you off as it ran around the path in a blind rage. You quickly summersaulted backwards once you felt your back hit the dirt and rushed over to the queen.

"RUN!" You yell at her for a second time.

But she didn't. She just stared at you with wide, fear filled eyes.

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" You grab the queen by the arm and pull her roughly to her feet before dragging her in the direction her sister had gone.

Elsa had no idea what was going on. Everything was happening so fast. She had just seen you, the girl she had met so many years ago, jump on the back of some devil bear and shoot it with an arrow. Now you were running through the forest, pulling her through the air with each step she took because she couldn't keep up.

She swallowed the lump in her throat as she gazed at your ponytail brushing against her face. "I-It's you…What-What are you doing here?"

You glance at her over your shoulder. Anger was raging in your eyes as you pulled her closer to you so you were running side by side. The bear had taken up the chase and was only a few meters behind you.

"What am I doing here? What are YOU doing here?" You demanded. "Don't you know that-"

No, she didn't know. No one had told her that the forest was dangerous. How was she supposed to know that there was a man-eating bear lurking in the wooded areas of the kingdom when she spent every day in that castle?

Elsa stared at you confusingly. "Don't I know what?"

You tsk irritably and focus on the road. "Nothing, forget I said anything. Just…keep running!"

Elsa felt something stab in her heart. She had known you ever since you had come to Arendelle as her father's ward. There had been something about you that had immediately caught her attention, and she had spent years trying to get your attention. However, she hadn't seen you since her parents had died three years ago; she heard her subjects talk about you so fondly, but she never saw you. She could hardly believe just how beautiful you had become in those three years.

You brought your fingers to your mouth and whistled loudly. A flash of grey fur suddenly appeared beside you and Elsa and you smiled at the furry creature. "Good boy, Summit!"

You let go of Elsa's hand and whirled around with your bow at the ready. The arrow zinged through the air as it hit the bear's empty eye socket, throwing it into another raging frenzy. You kicked yourself for missing its good eye.

You turned back to the queen and felt your breath catch in your throat. The last time you had actually seen her was three years ago when her parents had left to go to a wedding. She had somehow managed to grow in beauty since then, but you wouldn't let something like that wave your feelings for this woman or the other royals and nobles.

"Pardon me, your majesty," you say half-heartedly. You quickly kneel down, grab her around the thighs, and lift her onto Summit.

Elsa blushed bright red at the suddenly intimate touch you're giving her. "Honeycomb, what are you doing?" she demanded. The feeling of the wolf's fur between her thighs caused her to shiver at the tickling sensation.

Your eyes widen at the use of your old nickname. How could she still remember that stupid nickname she and Anna had given you when you were younger? You had almost forgotten it yourself.

You shook your head. Now was not the time to dwell on the past. You had to get Elsa out of here and kill the bear. That was all that mattered. Once this was done, you wouldn't have to see the queen ever again.

A loud scream suddenly filled your ears as you strapped Elsa into the harness on Summit's back. You look up to see Anna staring at the two of you wide eyed in fear from the ridge above you. She pointed to a spot behind you.

"ELSA, HONEYCOMB, LOOK OUT!"

You suddenly feel razor sharp claws rip through the flesh of your right bicep and side. A muffled yelp of pain escapes your lips as you bite your tongue to keep from screaming. You slap Summit's flank.

"Go, Summit! Get Elsa out of here! GO!"

The wolf lurches forward and speeds out of the immediate danger just as the bear swung its claws a second time. You duck out of the way in time to miss the first wave of claws, but now you're closer to the ground in a crouching position in front of the bear. Your right arm and side are ablaze with pain as you feel the blood soaking through your clothes. This was bad.

You pull your dagger out of your boot with your left hand and are about to jam the blade into the beast's throat when you're suddenly knocked to the ground. The bear stomped one of its paws into your chest and drove you into the ground. Its muzzle was a mere inches from your face as it dug its claws into the sensitive flesh of your chest.

A wave of agonizing pain rips through your torso and you scream to the point that blood sputters from your mouth. The pressure on your chest is choking off all the oxygen to your lungs. You can feel the claws digging further into your chest as you watch helplessly as the bear roars at you. Its razor sharp fangs descended towards your head and you closed your eyes for the cruel death that was to come.

However, you never felt the teeth on your skull. Instead, the pressure was released from your torso, allowing you to gasp for air greedily as a loud roar fills permeates the area. You open your eyes to see a spear of ice poking out of the monster's shoulder.

"Ice?" You manage to choke out as you struggle to your feet. You hear someone call to you and you turn back to the ridge. Elsa and Anna are staring down at you with fear painted across their features.

"Honeycomb, run for it!" Anna screamed at you.

You huffed and yelled back irritably. "YOU run! I have a job here! I'm going to kill this damn bear and give its pelt to Elsa as a present. I can't wait to see the look on that commander's face when she asks him why she didn't know about this threat."

Another roar filled the air and you turned just in time to dodge the bear swiping its paw at you. You rolled on the ground, taking shelter under the bear's body, and gripped your knife tighter. This was your only chance. You had to take it.

You slammed the knife into the bear's throat and ripped it clean open. Blood sputtered over you in a hot shower of life nectar. The roar turned into a distressed gurgle and the beast fell to the ground on top of you.

Elsa felt her heart stop. She screamed your name and rode Summit down the ridge with Anna close behind. She unhooks herself from the harness around the wolf with some difficulty and rushes to the bear's bleeding corpse. Her hands shuffle from one portion of the bear to the other as she tries desperately to roll the body off of you.

"Hold on! I'm going to get you out of there!" She uses her magic to create a lever system underneath the bear and lift it up.

You feel the weight suddenly leave your body slightly and you claw your way out from underneath the bloody corpse. Anna met you halfway and hooked her arms under your armpits in order to help pull you out. You shouted with every tug until you were laid on the leaf covered ground.

You looked at the two sisters staring at you with worried looks. Your vision was blurred from having lost too much blood, but you could still pinpoint which one was which. You motioned for the queen to come closer and whispered as loudly as you could once she was in earshot.

"The next time I tell you to run, please, just fucking run."

The world suddenly went black around you as you felt your body spin. _"Could be worse,"_ you thought soberly. _"You could be at the castle doing maid's duties."_


	3. When She Wakes

**Warning:**** If you have a weak stomach, keep a trashcan close by. You might need it.**

* * *

Elsa felt a wave of nausea slip through her stomach like a slippery eel as she watched you sleeping soundly in one of the many guest bedrooms of the castle. It had been two weeks since the bear attack. You had yet to wake up, and she had rarely left your side.

She brushed her finger against your cheek and cringed at the underlying cheekbone sticking out more prominently than usual. You had definitely gotten thinner, and your hair had lost its usual luster. The bandages wrapped around your torso and right bicep had recently been changed, but hey still looked dirty. It had truly been a miracle that you had not died.

A soft, pitiful whimper escaped your lips as your eyes fluttered open painfully. The first thing you noticed was the cool sensation on your cheek; it felt so nice against your heated skin that you sighed and leaned into the source. The second thing that made itself evident was the searing thirst that turned your mouth and throat into a desert. Third was a ravenous hunger that made you feel sick to your stomach. Finally, the last and most important thing, you saw Elsa sitting in a chair by your bedside.

You stared at the blonde with half lidded eyes. She looked horrible. Her hair was greasy from not washing it in some time, black circles surrounded her eyes, her skin was paler than usual, and her eyes were severely dull (though there was a spark deep within her crystal blue eyes that tried to ignite them to life). She was staring at you slack jawed with tears misting at the corners of her eyes.

"Elsa," you said in barely in a whisper, your voice laden with confusion. "Why are you staring at me like that? What's going on? Where's the bear?" You blinked slightly as you glanced around the room. Your heart stopped when you realized where you were. "Why am I in the castle?"

You felt a stifling wave of pain sweep through your right side as the queen of Arendelle threw her arms around you in a tight embrace.

"You're finally awake," she sobbed into your shoulder as her hold tightened. "Thank the Gods! I was so worried!"

"Ow! Ow! OW! ELSA! That_** hurts**_!" You exclaim in pain.

Elsa's eyes snap open as she realizes what she's doing and quickly releases you. "Oh, my Gods, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

You touch your hand tenderly to the bandaging on your arm as you glare at the woman sitting beside you. Your gaze immediately softens at the concern and _relief_ painted on the queen's features. You turn away to hide the small blush threatening to out you to your visitor. "_Dammit, why does she still have to be so damn cute when she looks at me like that?_"

Elsa doesn't notice your sudden change in demeanor. She is rushing to the door of your bedroom and calling down the hall. "Gerda, please, come quick, and bring the doctor! She's awake! She's finally awake!"

You glance at the blonde out of the corner of your eye and feel the blush spread to your ears. Her hips were swaying as she walked to the door and back, practically mesmerizing you in their supple swing. She had truly grown to be a beautiful woman in your absence.

You chomped down on your tongue to keep your promiscuous thoughts at bay. Now was not the time to have _those_ feelings come up again, especially when they involved a royal; especially when they involved the most powerful royal in the kingdom, Queen Elsa of Arendelle. Those feelings were one of the reasons why you had run away from the castle and the royal family in the first place, but your duty had bound you to their will no matter where you went. It just took a royal messenger with a letter with the sigil of the royal house and she was stuck doing whatever the nobles asked.

Elsa returned to your bedside and stared at you with a mixture of mirth, relief, and…was that….no. It couldn't be. You were imagining things because of your vast fasting and dehydration. You were pretty sure your wounds might have been infected and were causing a fever to work against you as well.

"How long have I been out for?" You ask before the queen has a chance to say anything.

"Two, almost three weeks," Elsa replied sullenly. "We all thought you were going to die on us. Your injuries got infected so quickly that Gerda didn't know how to treat you, so we called the royal doctor. However, even he couldn't do anything."

You scratched at the strange itching sensation you felt on your bicep and the right side of your torso. Just as the queen mentioned her old nursemaid and the doctor, two people burst into the room: a woman and a man. You recognized the heavier set, middle aged woman to be Gerda, but the man was completely new. He was a shaky old man with a bald head and a beard that reached his knees. You could only assume he was the doctor.

"Oh, my shining stars," Gerda gasped as she rushed to your side, kissing your forehead like she used to. "You are awake! Oh, this is just grand! We were all so worried about you, dear!"

Your eyes widened as you felt a nervous blush darken the color of your cheeks. "I-I'm fine, Gerda. Don't worry about me. I'm more curious how you guys beat my infection if the doctor couldn't do anything."

You switched back and forth from scratching your arm to scratching your torso. There were strange lumps under the dirty bandages. They were squishy, bulbous, and-

One of the lumps moved when you scratched it and you nearly jumped out of the bed.

"_**What the hell is crawling underneath my skin?**_" You shrieked. The pelts slipped off of your torso as your body shot into an upright sitting position.

Elsa and Gerda exchanged looks. "Well…"

The old doctor thumped his heavy wooden cane against your skull before he got to work unraveling the cloth bandage on your arm. "You wouldn't let me bleed you out. That's why there's something crawling under your bandages."

You stared at the old man incredulously. "You tried to bleed the infection out of me? What is wrong with you, old man? I'm pretty sure I lost more than enough blood when the bear clawed me. I didn't need to be bled."

A soft snort escaped Elsa's lips, but she quickly disguised it with a cough. "Actually, that's exactly what you said."

You cocked an eyebrow at the blonde standing by your bed. "Pardon?"

"You woke up a few days after the infection spread when the doctor was trying to bleed you," Elsa explained. "The fever was making you delirious, but you had managed to fight off the doctor and his assistant; all the while yelling that you didn't need to be bled."

Her expression suddenly changed from humorous to sickly. "Before you passed out again, you had managed to tell us to…get a handful of maggots from one of the dead livestock in the cattle yard, wash them, and place them on the infected wound to get rid of the infection. After that, you fainted from the fever and haven't woken up since."

The doctor finished unraveling the bandage around your bicep and five happily engorged maggots plopped onto the pelt covering your legs. You felt a sour taste in your mouth as you turned your focus from the well fed parasites to the wound on your arm. It didn't hold any sign of infection, but you would definitely have a few nice scars to show off at the pub the next time you went in.

"Well, at least the Queen of Arendelle can listen to a simple order. I'm sure Mr. Puncture-Happy over here would have drained me dry before he was sure my infection was gone." You motioned towards the old doctor as he removed the bandages around your torso.

The doctor grumbled irritably. "Never in my seventy years as a doctor have I ever gotten such a disrespectful brat to work on." He removed the bindings, leaving you completely bare from the waist up, and ten more well-fed maggots fell from your wounds in a drunken lull.

"Try updating your practice a little and maybe I'll be a little nicer," you smile sweetly at the old man.

A slight blush coats Elsa's cheeks as her eyes drifted over your naked skin. She quickly turned her attention to the floor and gently chewed on her bottom lip. This was not the first time she had seen you bare, but she had difficulty controlling her emotions back then as well; plus you hadn't been as…curvy as you were now.

You sighed softly as you pinched the bridge of your nose. You never noticed the Queen's sudden change in demeanor. It never bothered you to be naked around the women currently in the room when you were younger; it still didn't. You were perfectly comfortable with your body.

The sound of shuffling feet sounded on the outside of the room and the door flew open. Anna sped through the room in a blur and knocked your half naked body back into the mound of pillows in one of the roughest hugs you had ever received. She looked like a raccoon and had pale skin that resembled her older sister's. Apparently the queen and Gerda were not the only ones who had been worried.

"_You're awake! You're finally awake! Thank the Gods, you're awake!_" the red head sobbed in excitement.

"OW! OW! OW! OW! ANNA, THAT HURTS!"

The princess didn't cease in her onslaught of excruciatingly tight hugs. She was too busy sobbing tears of joy into your collarbone as she squeezed the life out of you. Her whole body was shaking from the intense emotion spiraling through her body.

Knowing that the younger girl was this distraught about your condition made your whole being soften; you had always hated it when the princess worried about you when you were younger. You had hated it when both of the princesses would worry about you. It would tear you apart on the inside whenever you got hurt because they would both turn into emotional wrecks. Mainly because you would always get hurt trying to protect them.

You nervously wrap your arms around the sniveling girl on top of you and gently drag your nails through her hair to rub her scalp like you used to do when the princess would cry to you about how much she missed her sister. "There, there, Little Red. Everything's fine. It's going to take more than an infection to take me down."

There was a loud growl sounded through the room, causing your face to flush bright red. Elsa and Gerda giggled slightly as Anna rubbed her ear in discomfort.

"Wow! That almost blew out my eardrum!" the red head laughed.

"I think we need to get our heroine a decent meal," Elsa suggested with a small smile on her lips.

"Oh, no, she's not going anywhere like that," Gerda patronized. "She needs to take a bath and wash up before she sets foot anywhere in the castle."

"Hey! I'm not that dirty!" You defend.

Anna leans down and gives you a generous sniff. She clasps her hand to her nose and vaults upright. "You might not be dirty, but you definitely stink, Honey."

Your eyebrows furrow in a slight pout and you take a whiff of your armpit. The sour, rancid scent of sweat and other bodily fluids raped your nostrils. Tears formed in your eyes as you blinked repeatedly to hold them back; a slight cough escaped your throat.

"Okay," you wheezed. "I…might…just smell a _teeeeeeeeeeeeny_ tiny bit ripe."

An amused look of disgust coveted Elsa's features. "That is…disgusting…."

You raise your eyebrow at the queen. "Well, excuse me, your Majesty. Not all of us commoners have the resources to bathe every day."

Elsa held back a small chuckle and was about to say something when Gerda cut her off.

"That doesn't matter if commoners shower once a day, once a week, once a month, or once a year," the older woman patronized. "You're back in the castle now, young lady. You're going to act like a proper lady."

"A proper lady?" You ask in feigned confusion, shooting the nursemaid a fake, innocent smile. "What's that?"

"Oh, come now. I understand that you haven't been with us for three years, but even you should know the basics of proper lady-like conduct. You are the daughter of royalty yourself, after all." Gerda turned to Anna. "Could you bring the so-called 'commoner' to the bathroom?"

"Sure!" Anna nodded her head vigorously and grabbed your hands. She was dragging you out the door before you even had time to process what had just happened. "Come on! We can bathe together like we did when we were younger!"

You dug your bare heels into the wooden floor as you were dragged to the baths like a cat fearing its first exposure to water. "Wait! No, no, no, no! Not that again! You nearly boiled the flesh off my bones the last time! Someone HELP!"

The door slammed shut and the laughter finally broke free from Elsa's lips. A faint blush still colored her cheeks as she stared at the door longingly. It had been so long since you had last been in the castle, in their lives, but it was almost as if time had stood still that entire time.

Gerda glanced at the queen and smiled softly. "She's grown to be quite the young woman, don't you think? Very beautiful."

Elsa nodded her head. "That is for sure." She placed her hand to her chest and stared nervously at the floor. "I am just curious on where she has been these three years…and why she left. I missed her so much, Gerda."

The nursemaid smiled comfortingly and placed her hand on the queen's arm. "You still have feelings for her, don't you, your Majesty?"

Elsa stared at the door as your voice sang through the hallway. "HOT!"

"Oh, hush up, you big baby!" Anna's voice sounded. "It's not _that_ hot!"

"My skin is red from where I tested the water! Bullshit it's not that hot!" You suddenly went quiet. "_Dear Lord!_ Anna, put some clothes on!...What are you doing?..._THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN TAKE OFF MY PANTS_!"

The blonde shook her head slightly as an amused smile danced across her lips. "More than you can imagine, Gerda."

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**Hello dears! I'm honestly shocked by how many people have reviewed and showed interest in this story! I had originally just written a few chapters to get my mind off of _"When Winter Met Summer" _but I am so glad to see that people are enjoying this story as well. I will make sure to complete it.**


	4. Wait what?

**Hello dears! I'm a little behind in writing up new chapters in both of my "_Frozen"_ fanfictions, but don't worry. I still intend on submitting new chapters as soon as I am able. It might just take a little while :)**

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"You don't have to work today, you know." The stable master informed. His voice was laden with concern as he ran a calloused hand over the grey whiskers on his chin. "You saved the queen and the princess and took quite the beating in the process. Why don't you just go home and rest? You've earned it."

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me," you replied in a warm tone in hopes of convincing the stable master. You were finishing burning and embroidering intricate designs into two new saddles you had made for Queen Elsa and Princess Anna. When you had finally woken up, you had gone to the stables to take a look at the worn out saddles and realized that they were not properly formed for the royal sisters. You had spent all of your spare time over the past month working on the saddles so that the two women wouldn't have to worry about having another mishap like Elsa had with the bear.

To be honest, the main reason you were even working right now was because you were sick and tired of being cooped up in that prison the royals called home. Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, and Gerda had insisted that you stay in the castle until your wounds were healed, and much to your dismay, you could still barely use your right arm. Your injuries were far from healed, and it had taken quite some convincing to persuade the queen to allow you to return to your duties.

The queen…oh, Gods, she had become such a wonderful woman since you had seen her three years ago before the old King and Queen died at sea. You had been under the King's orders back then due to the contract your father had signed with him, but now that contract had been passed down to involve the current Queen of Ice and Snow. Now ever since you had been back in the castle, the old feelings you had for the queen were rekindling with a vengeance, and you absolutely hated it.

You hated how your day would instantly brighten as you sat across the table from the queen at breakfast, so you would make sure to leave the castle before the dawn. You despised the bell like laugh that sounded from her rosy lips as she watched you and Anna slide across the wooden floor in your stocking feet, occasionally falling on your rear as you tried to round the corner too sharply. You absolutely loathed how she would ask you to join her for a horseback, or wolfback in the majority of your cases, ride through the forest. You detested the way she would randomly get a flare of determination as she challenged you to a race, and how you would occasionally let her win just to see the excitement play across her features.

You hated her. You despised her. You absolutely loathed her. You detested everything she did. And you were completely and unconditionally in love with her.

The stable master seemed to believe you and turned to leave. "Alright, well, just make sure you don't overexert yourself."

You acknowledged the master's concern and bid him a good afternoon. You finished burning Anna's name into the side of her saddle and backed away from the two pieces of art you had crafted. A swell of pride filled your chest as you nodded approvingly at your handiwork.

Anna's saddle was chestnut brown and embroidered with red and green flowers. The leather had been made out of brain tanned deerskin, so it was incredibly durable yet supple to the touch. Due to the fact that the princess rode horses constantly, you had to make the saddle durable enough to withstand relentless abuse; especially in the seat, the twist, and the knee roll where you knew the most wear and tear would occur. After going over all the stitches, tacks, and embroidering, finding it satisfactory, you put the new saddle on the rack and put the old, worn out one on the hand-me-down pile.

Once you put the princess's new saddle away, you turned to the queen's saddle to marvel at your work. The saddle was made of brain tanned, black leather from a yearling calf, embellished with her name embroidered in white and blue with three snowflakes. Though it would not endure as much abuse as the princess's, it did not need to due to the fact that the blonde did not ride horse as much as her younger sister. It would still be passed down to the queen's children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren.

You replaced the queen's old saddle with the one you made and sighed. "I wonder if she'll like the saddle. I don't know when she'll go on another horseback ride, so it might take some time before I hear about what she thinks. I'll just have to be patient."

"What do you have to be patient about?"

You whirled around so fast your neck cracked in three places. Princess Anna was standing in the door of the stable beaming at you with a smile that could have melted iron. The sly glint of mischief in her eye made you weary about her intentions, so you treaded cautiously into whatever plan was scheming in that bright red head of hers.

"Princess," you nod courteously, "what a nice surprise to see you. For what do I owe the honor of having the princess of Arendelle in my stable?"

Anna cocked an eyebrow teasingly. "Your stable? I thought it was Roan's stable. Don't you just work here whenever he needs the extra experience?"

You shrug your shoulders modestly. "True, but I tend to take over when he is away."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Anna waved her hand in dismissal. She jumped over to you excitedly and beamed up at you with yet another melting smile. "Guess what!"

"What?" You ask kindly.

Anna puffed out her cheeks in a pout. "That's no fun! You're supposed to guess!"

You chuckle slightly and pretended to scratch at an imaginary beard. "Does it have anything to do with the saddle I just finished making for you?"

The princess's eyes widened with excitement. "You made me a new saddle! I wanna see! I wanna see!" She was bouncing all over you like one of the pups at the kennel.

"Alright, alright," you laugh at the overly excitable red head, "just close your eyes."

Anna was suddenly still as she closed her eyes obediently. You waved your hand in front of her face and smiled when she didn't flinch. You picked up the brown saddle and placed it on the railing in front of the princess.

"Alright, open your eyes."

Anna opened her eyes and shrieked with excitement. "OH MY GODS! This is AMAZING!" She fawned over the saddle like a lovesick child. "You made this?"

You nodded. "I've been working on these saddles in my spare time over the past month. It wasn't easy, but I think I managed to make them satisfactory."

Anna gazed at you with sparkling eyes. "You mean you made two?"

A soft blush colored your cheeks. "Well, yes, I made one for Queen Elsa as well. I noticed your old saddles didn't seem to fit you anymore, so I made new ones."

The red head stared you down as an impish grin spread across her lips. "Oh, so you made Elsa one too?"

You mentally slapped yourself for divulging that bit of information. "Did you want to tell me something? I have a lot of work to do."

Anna's mischievous grin was replaced with excitement as she leaned over the saddle. "Right! Guess what we're having on Saturday!"

"Soup roast and ice cream?" You guessed jokingly.

"No!" Anna shook her head furiously. "We're having a grand ball! Elsa and I talked about it and we're going to hold it this Saturday! All the nobles and important figures in Arendelle will be there! Isn't that great?"

You froze. A ball? They were going to throw a ball? Why would that interest you in the slightest? You hated formal occasions, so much so that you hadn't gone to one since you were shipped here like a breeding mare. The only time you ever even danced anymore was when you went to the pub.

"Oh, goody!" You squealed with fake excitement. "More stuffy and snobbish royals and nobles to deal with, I can't wait to completely skip the event!" You grabbed the stack of horse shoes on the workbench and stalked over to the stall where a three year old mare was waiting to be shoed.

Anna's face fell. "I thought you would be excited about the ball. Aren't you going to come?"

You grabbed the mare's hind leg, wedged it between your legs, and began filing the hoof. "What and get mocked and ridiculed for being the bastard ward of the old King and, now, the new Queen of Arendelle? I think I'll pass."

"No one's going to ridicule you, Honeycomb," Anna stated surely. "I've never heard anyone mock you. Why would they start now?"

You ceased filing and stared at the princess incredulously. "Are you serious? You have never heard anyone mock me? Where the hell have you been for the past seven years? ALL of the nobility and EVERYONE in the castle who knows about my father's little trick of swapping me, his bastard daughter, with his full blooded daughter ridicules me! Most of the people on the council still say that I should be killed! Why should I go to the one place where they're all going to come together?"

Anna was taken aback. She had never known about the arrangement your father had with her father. She just knew that you came to Arendelle one day and was told that you would be living with them. She had been so excited to have another sister around that she hadn't questioned anything about it.

"But…the party's for you," Anna explained quietly. "Elsa and I have been planning it as a thank you for saving our lives. I want you to be there. Elsa wants you to be there."

"Oh, wonderful," you huffed. "The Queen of Arendelle even wants me to attend. The one reason why I'm even in this place wants me to join in the merriment." Realization suddenly dawned on you and you stared at the princess with a confused look. "Wait…did you say the party was for…me?"

Anna nodded. "Yeah, we talked about it and decided that we wanted to thank you properly, to show the people of Arendelle what a true hero you are. You're our best friend. You treated us so well when we were kids. We just want you to know…how much we missed you…and how much we want you to stay with us…"

You noticed the tears in the princess's eyes and felt your heart snap in two. Anna had been like a little sister to you ever since you arrived in Arendelle. She had been the first hug you had felt in your life. Even your half-siblings, your father, or the stewards and maids back home never hugged you, so when a bubbling ball of freckled red head had leapt into your arms when you had been dropped off you couldn't help but feel a connection with the girl.

You set the mare's hoof down on the ground and walked over to the sniveling red head; placing your arms tenderly around her shoulders. "I'm sorry, Anna. I'll…"

You'll what? You didn't want to go to this party, even if it was for you. Members of the council would definitely be there, along with all the significant figures of Arendelle. What would they say if the bastard of a double-crossing king showed up after disappearing for three years like she was supposed to?

You bit your tongue and took two calming breaths in order to control your anxiety. You could feel your body temperature rising as you watched steam hiss out of your nose when you exhaled. It was times like this were you hated the power you had.

"I'll be there. It's on Saturday, right? What time does it start?"

Anna looked up at you with starry eyes. "You will? Yay! It starts at seven o'clock. Gerda is having a dress made for you as we speak. This is going to be awesome!"

Your eyes widened and you held the red head out at arm's length. "Wait…dress?"


	5. Shift

**Hello Dears! I had a question come up from last chapter that I thought I would address for the sake of others who might also be having the same problem. It would appear that some of you might not know what a "Bastard" truly is when I use it in the context of "bastard daughter." **

**For those of you who do not know, a bastard is an illegitimate child born out of wedlock. So when I use the term "bastard daughter," I am using the terminology used in this day and age that would describe the reader's character as the illigitemate child of a royal; meaning that their father and mother were not married when they were conceived and born. I hope this explains a few questions that were floating around out there.**

**Enjoy the new chapter!**

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There was a slight tap on your window and you turned to see what it was. A large, horned owl was pecking at the glass. There was a scroll tied around its leg.

You grumbled slightly and crawled out of bed; walking over to the window as bare as the day you were born. Since you never had to share a room with anyone other than your wolf or other animal you never bothered to wear anything to bed. It was a waste in a clean pair of clothes.

You opened the window and let the owl step onto your wrist. You untied the scroll around the raptor's leg and inspected the paper. It was sealed with the royal sigil pressed in purple wax.

"Thank you, my friend," you nodded to the owl and set him back on the sill. The owl ruffled his feathers and flew away. You immediately opened the parchment and began to read under your breath.

When you finished reading the letter, you started a fire in the hearth and burned the parchment. You watched in awe as the white paper illuminated red as it blackened and turned to ash. "It's time to get to work."

You turned to the window and basked in the moonlight. Steam escaped your mouth and nose as you exhaled at a steady pace. You felt your skin practically combust as a fire swept through your body. You could feel your body contorting painlessly; your legs shortened, your elbows and knees changed direction, your back elongated as a tail sprouted from just above your rear, and claws sprouted from your fingers and toes.

You shook yourself slightly as you finished your transformation. You jumped on top of your vanity to get a feeling for your new legs and marveled at your change. A large, brown and black stripped tabby cat with a sleek, muscular build was staring at you with large, golden eyes.

_"I'm not much for cats,"_ you thought to yourself_, "but this will benefit me for what I need to do."_

You jumped through the windowsill effortlessly and descended down the roof of the castle. This was something you absolutely loved. The feeling that rushed over you whenever you used your magic, it was the greatest thing you ever felt each and every time. You absolutely adored the way your body sizzled with the delicious power that your mother had passed down to you; the power that your father feared and hated.

You bounded from rooftop to rooftop as you made your way down the side of the castle, walking along window ledges like a tightrope walker and cheating death with every leap. The sights and smells that were pummeling your senses were making you reckless with your newfound freedom. This happened every time you would transform, but you didn't care. It gave you life. You needed it.

You landed next to a vast, triangle window and sat down on the sill. You gazed out over the city of Arendelle and tilted your head at the many shops and houses that glowed in the moonlight. The view seemed so familiar, but you couldn't quite place how or why.

A light suddenly flashed behind you and you jumped in surprise. Your back left paw slipped from the sill and you dug your claws into the stone to keep from plummeting to your death. You clawed desperately at the sill as your hind legs kicked into overdrive in an attempt to get you back onto solid ground, but you couldn't get a good grip on the stone.

A shadow passed by the window and stopped. You stared wide eyed at the shadow. Maybe you could get the person on the other side to help you, but how.

You meowed as loud as you could. Your claws were in searing pain as your body slipped further and further over the edge of the windowsill. Another meow escaped your throat and you heard something click. One of the panes of glass opened and you nearly released the stone holding you precariously over a fatal drop.

Elsa stared at you with a look of surprise painted across her face. "Oh, you poor thing," she gently lifted you up and held you close to her chest as she walked back to her bed. "How did you get up here?"

You felt your breath hitch in your throat. Elsa was carrying you. You were in the Queen of Arendelle's bedroom. No wonder why the view looked so familiar! With all the time you spent in the platinum blonde's room when you were younger, how could you have forgotten the incredible view the queen had from her window?

Something cool suddenly started rubbing your chin and you melted into the touch. A soft purr bubbled in your chest as the feeling spread to your neck, your ears, your back, and finally your belly. You rolled around on a plush surface as the cool, tickling sensation smoothed the fur on your stomach.

Elsa smiled at the cat rolling around playfully on her mattress. She was a gorgeous feline; long, sleek, and marbled with black and brown markings. How had such a creature managed to climb up to her window?

"You're a strange one," the blonde hummed amusingly. "I don't know how you did it, but you managed to climb up a castle wall to my windowsill. It is a good thing I woke up and heard you meowing outside my window or else you would have fallen."

She finished rubbing your belly and you turned your head to look at her. You could feel a heated blush explode across your whiskered face. The queen was wearing nothing but a smoky grey robe that wasn't even tied in the front, revealing creamy, pale skin that ran across her stomach, hips, breasts, and shoulders.

Oh, dear, you were going to have that image engraved into your mind for weeks.

There was a soft knock at the door and the queen tied her robe. "Who is it?"

"It's me." A soft, hesitant voice replied. "Can I come in?"

Elsa smiled warmly. "Of course you can, Anna."

The door creaked open ever so slightly and a nervous looking princess of Arendelle poked her head through. You noticed that she had a very anxious look in her eyes. What could she be doing up at this hour?

"What are you doing up, Anna? I thought you would still be sound asleep at this hour," the queen asked. It was almost as if she had read your thoughts.

Anna stepped into the room and closed the door gently. She looked so adorable in her green nightgown and pigtails. You flicked your tail happily as the scene before you reminded you of one of the first nights you had stayed at the castle and the princess had asked if she could sleep in your room.

"Well, I was actually wondering if you've seen Honey," Anna admitted nervously. "I went to her room, but she didn't answer when I knocked."

You? Why was she looking for you? It wasn't even close to morning, so why was the princess trying to find you?

Elsa raised an eyebrow in confusion. "She probably didn't hear you knocking. She has been very busy as of late. She is probably just sleeping very deeply…Why do you need to talk to her at two in the morning?"

"N-No reason!" Anna lied pathetically.

Elsa stared at her younger sister with disbelief. "Anna…"

"Okay, okay, I wanted to talk to her about you!" The princess blurted without thinking. "Agh! I mean, not like gossip about you, but like talk about you. You know, like, talk about what I think she might feel towards you. I mean, she had a major thing for you before she disappeared. I just wanted to know if maybe she still liked you is all."

You hissed angrily at the red head. A slew of curses were swirling in your head at the rambling girl standing a few steps away. _"Anna! Shut up! You swore you'd never tell her that!"_

Anna jumped in surprise at the sudden noise. "Holy snowman! Where did that cat come from? It's so cute!"

You were suddenly bombarded with kisses from the princess as Anna scooped you into her arms and squeezed you tightly. All the air was being forced from your lungs as you struggled to free yourself from the red headed sadist. You could feel the control you had over your transformation wavering from the lack of oxygen. Since when had the girl gotten so strong?

Elsa blinked in confusion as her ears started to turn pink. "Wait, what did you just say?"

Anna ceased her squeezing and turned to her sister. A nervous bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face as she laughed awkwardly. "Oh, um, yeah, Honeycomb's going to kill me if she finds out I told you that she had like a major thing for you before she disappeared, so can you…not tell her I said anything and act like you don't know?"

You scratched the princess's hand and bolted to the window when the red head dropped you.

"Ouch! Elsa, the cat scratched me!"

"Well, perhaps you shouldn't smother her with hugs and kisses," the queen suggested humorously.

"Hmph! Fine, I won't hug her so-…" Anna glanced around the room. "Where'd it go?"

You bounded from rooftop to rooftop until your paws were safely on the ground. That had been too close. If you had stayed there any longer, you would have transformed back into your original form in Anna's arms.

_"That would have been interesting_," you laughed mentally. _"They already know I have powers. They just don't know what they are, and having me suddenly morph back into my normal, naked body after being a cat would probably scare the shit out of them."_

You stalked through the courtyard until you were outside one of the windows leading to the royal council room. There was a small pane of glass missing in the corner. You squeezed through the small opening and shape-shifted back into your original form once you were far enough away from the glass.

There was a group of men and women sitting around the table, leaving the head of the table open. You could see that they were all wearing black in the minimal light cast by the six candles placed on the middle of the table. The group mostly consisted of the queen's council, and some of the elder council members from when the king had ruled three years ago.

"It is about time you showed up," a gruff voice echoed through the vast room meant for the queen and her council. One of the older men of the council was glaring at you with a bright red blush on his face. "For Gods' sake, girl, would you put some clothes on? Show some decency!"

You ignore the voice as you make your way over to the empty seat at the head of the table. An air of power is emanating from you as you walk regally amongst the council. You pull on a pair of black pants and a black shirt that had been folded neatly in the seat. "Why have I been summoned this time, my lords and ladies? Have I done something wrong?"

"Other than disgrace the royal family with your return, I can't say you have," the old man from before coughed.

"Hold your tongue, old man!" One of the men from the queen's council barked. "You have no right talking about her ladyship like that!"

You shoot a glare at both men and they calmed down instantly. "I am no noble, nor am I a royal. I am simply a bastard who was a ward of the previous king. I will not tolerate being addressed like one of you snobbish, money grubbing lords…and ladies," you nod at the few women in the court. "Is that clear?"

A dull murmur of agreement spread throughout the council.

"Good," you sat in the seat where the queen would normally conduct the meetings during the day and rolled up your sleeves. "Now then, tell me why I have been summoned."


	6. For What I Owe

"This is a major problem," one of the men amongst the small council whined pitifully as the documents were passed around the circle. He had never been to any of the previous meetings you had been called to before, so you could only assume that he had been a recent addition in order to make up for the place that was…._open_. However, you recognized him as being the commander of the kingdom's army, or ex-commander as it turned out. Queen Elsa had temporarily stricken him of his duties due to his treasonous refusal to inform her of the bear that had killed so many people in the kingdom.

"Please, do explain. What is this problem in which you speak?" You ask the ex-commander sweetly as you stare him down across the table. The documents that the royal keeper had brought had made their way to you, but you left them sitting off to the side unread.

The commander swallowed forcefully as he flinched under your gaze. "W-Well, you see, my lady. I just do not believe it is a good idea for you to be reassigned to your previous duties as the queen's personal guard. I feel that there are more…fitting _men_…we could appoint."

"You read these orders by the old king and you're concerned about the fact that this bastard is to be reinstated as the queen's personal guard?" The old man who had shown his distaste earlier in the evening spat. "What about the fact that our beloved king has ordered-"

"That is quite enough." You ordered firmly. You never raised your voice, but it still held the power to make everyone at the table flinch and cease in their mindless chatter.

Everyone turned their attention to you as you stood from the table and walked around the room. It was an old tick you remembered your father having whenever he wanted to fully gain the attention of his council members. The change in his demeanor alone when he did so was always enough to reduce those who attended to quivering puddles of goo. Now, it would seem that it had become one of your mannerisms as well.

"I am not going to lie and say that I am not completely shocked about the old king's last wish in having me protect his daughters," you explain calmly in a softer tone of voice that was completely genuine as you stood in the window. The voices around you died down in pure shock as your walls crumbled. "I remember him asking me to do everything in my power to protect Princess Anna and, at the time, Princess Elsa when he had found out about my powers; when he found out I was just a bastard swap from the true princess of my home. It was just as surprising then as it is now, but I must do as the king ordered. It does not matter if he is alive or dead. I will complete his request no matter what. I owe him that much."

You felt a slight stab of pain in your chest. You would have done anything the king had requested of you. After all, it was because of him that you were still alive. He had managed to convince the council to spare your life instead of kill you because of a treacherous trick your father pulled. It did not matter what those documents said; you would follow them until the day you died.

The council stared at you in shock and awe. They could hardly believe the complete change in personality you just had. Ever since you had arrived in Arendelle, you made your distaste for royals and nobles well known. Seeing you praising a royal and pledging your heart to someone you supposedly hated was enough to flip their opinions of you on their heads.

You turn back to the council and pace around the table. "I do not need to read those documents to know that the king trusted me with his daughter's lives. He had asked me if I would take on the duty of protecting Anna and Elsa with my life years ago, and do everything I could to ensure their prosperity for the sake of the kingdom. I intend to do just that, so if any of you object to the king's final wishes now is the time to let your voice be heard."

The council fell silent. No one wanted to explain just what some of the duties their beloved king had instated of you. They were all in such a state of shock that they could barely speak.

"Very well, then this meeting is hereby adjourned." You walk confidently back to the head of the table and bow to the men and women of your small council. "My lords and ladies, I bid you a good night."

And with that, you stripped down to your skin, transformed back into the brown and black tabby cat, and escaped out the window. An exaggerated exhale wafted from the members of the council as the woman who had been sitting to your left, the keeper of all the important royal documents, rolled up the king's will, last statement, and the contract that had been signed between him and your father. The sound of shuffling parchment was the only thing to be heard for a solid ten minutes before one of the elders from the old king's council spoke up.

"She did not even bother to read the documents."

"It wouldn't have mattered if she had. We would still be in this situation," another man sighed.

"How are we going to explain this to her majesty and that bastard?" a third man grumbled. "I can understand the king wanting to keep his daughters safe and help the queen ensure the kingdom's prominent future. I can even agree that the girl is a perfect candidate to execute such a request, but _this?_ Had our beloved king lost his mind before his untimely death?"

"The king was perfectly sane," a woman sitting at the table stated firmly. "I, personally, think this is a wonderful idea."

"Wonderful? Have you lost your mind, woman? We are running out of time before the king's final decree is to be instated! The deadline is only a mere three months away, and I for one am not about to let the royal family be degraded any further! I don't care if it was the king's wish or not!" the first man hacked.

"Think about it," the woman replied. "That girl has magical powers. Her mother's side of the family is known for their prowess and vast knowledge of spells. This could help the kingdom substantially."

"Not to mention that there isn't a doubt in anyone's minds that the queen would go through with her father's final decree, since we all know how she feels about that girl," the document keeper informed logically. "And we all heard the bastard princess; she would do anything the king asked of her. We can trust that she would go along with it once we mention that it was the king's idea. Of course, we would have to force her to read these documents to prove it." She shook the rolled up parchments in the air.

"I refuse to let that happen!" the old man shouted angrily as he slammed his fist onto the table. "I've overseen this family's affairs since the old king's grandfather sat upon the throne. I am not about to let decades of work be lost!"

"It's the king's final order," the ex-commander stated calmly.

"Well, the hell with the king's final order!" the old man snarled. "Our beloved king must have been bewitched by that bastard girl's magic! He would never order such a thing, and I intend on keeping this royal family's dignity and honor intact!" He rose from his seat and began shuffling towards the door.

"Where are you going, Lord Utheim?" the document keeper asked skeptically.

"To my chambers," the old man spat over his shoulder. "I am going to put an end to all this madness. I am going to write to the Faceless Assassins and have that bastard taken out like she should have been when we found out that her father had betrayed us. There is no way I am going to let some bastard _girl-_"

The old man suddenly felt a wave of searing pain rip through his back between his shoulder blades. Blood trickled from his mouth and nose and he glanced back over his shoulder. His eyes widened when he saw the documents keeper digging a dagger deep into his spine.

"Miss Hanne," he choked. "What are you doing?"

"Protecting the king's wishes," the documents keeper replied dully. "You know the oath better than anyone here. To serve and protect our king, or queen's, dignity and rule. You are going against the old king's orders, therefore that makes you a traitor, and traitors have no place in this council or even this castle."

The old man suddenly crumbled to the floor. His eyes were dull as his blood spilled over the tiled floor. The documents keeper wiped her dagger off on the dead man's shirt and turned to the council.

"The meeting has been adjourned. I suggest we all go to bed. I will see to it that the body is taken care of and find a new replacement to fill our open seat."

* * *

You felt a sudden chill snake down your spine as you sat on the rooftop and stared through the queen's window across the precipice. Elsa and Anna were laughing and beating each other with the plush pillows that had once adorned the queen's bed. The whole fight had started out because the princess had decided to jump on the blonde's bed while the older sister was trying to sleep. The next thing you knew you were watching the two sisters have a pillow fight.

Your bare legs dangled over the edge of the roof as you shivered from the random chill. You had no idea what it was, but something was going to happen, and you didn't like it one bit. If there had been anything you learned in your years on this Earth, it was to trust your instincts. And right now your instincts were screaming at you to get out of this place.

You shook your head violently. No, you couldn't leave again. It hadn't done you any good to leave in the first place. What good would it do if you left again?

A plume of feathers suddenly slammed into the window, catching your attention. The queen and princess were covered in feathers as they laughed uncontrollably. Anna was holding an empty sack as she fell to the floor laughing.

Elsa wiped a tear from her eye and glanced out the window. Her eyes locked with yours and you smiled at the adorable blush that splayed itself across her cheeks as she noticed your naked body sitting on the rooftop; yet another image that would be engraved into your mind for quite some time. You couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the queen's expression.

You stood up and stepped off the edge of the roof like it was a simple stair. You caught a glimpse of the queen's face turning even paler as you disappeared from her view. Steam swirled all around you as you fell. You could feel the wind blast over you as your body transformed again.

Elsa shrieked and threw the window open, leaning out onto the windowsill. Her heart was hammering in her chest as she stared down into the black abyss below. "Where did she go?" she panted as her anxiety grew. A white falcon zoomed past her eyes as it rocketed into the air.

You laughed to yourself mentally as you saw Elsa throw herself back into her bedroom in shock. You flew in elaborate designs in front of the window in a show for the two sisters, marveling at the amazed looks on their faces. This was something you could get used to.

You finally flew up and over the top of the castle and backtracked over the rooftop to your open window as a cat. Once you were safely perched on the windowsill, you transformed back into your naked body and smiled at the moon. Yes, it was times like these that you absolutely loved your powers.

* * *

**Hello Dears! I'd like to bring up a slight concern that I have about a message I recieved from the last chapter. I understand that I made the OC sound super cool with the steam and keeping her powers a mystery, so suddenly making her power something as...boring as transforming into a cat is probably a bit of a let down. However, please do not jump to conclusions. I do have more planned for the OC, so please try to restrain yourselves when you get the urge to flame my PM box with a slurry of "WTF's" about the OC's power. I haven't even delved deep into the character yet. That will be coming up in the next few chapters.**

**Either way, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!**

**-FMM**


	7. My Weakness

You slowly poked your head out into the hall. It was approximately four o'clock in the afternoon. Gerda had been pounding on your door ever since you had woken up, demanding that you open your bedroom door so she could help you get ready for the ball. Apparently, since Elsa and Anna were more than capable of dressing themselves, she had taken it upon herself to get you prepared.

You had done a pretty good job at keeping the nursemaid from barging into your room thus far by pushing your armoire up against the door, but something had changed recently that caused an unsettling feeling to form in the pit of your stomach. After listening to Gerda shouting and pounding on your door for nearly nine hours, you immediately noticed when everything went completely silent. The quiet had lasted for fifteen minutes which only increased your anxiety.

The eerie silence wracked your mind as you glanced up and down the hall. No one was rushing around to finish the preparations for the evening, the queen and princess were nowhere to be seen; even Gerda had somehow managed to evaporate into thin air. There was absolutely no one around.

Despite your better judgment, you crept out of your bedroom and proceeded down the hall towards the kitchen. You left your door open just enough to allow you clearance if you needed to suddenly abort the mission and slip back into the safety of your den. Every last fiber of your being was screaming at you, praying to get your attention.

_"Hey! Listen! Hey, look! Listen! Hey!"_

You ignored the irritating voice in your mind as you advanced down the hall in nothing but your robe. The stagnant air was causing your anxiety to increase and steam was beginning to waft from your flesh. You could feel a slight burning sensation prickling underneath your skin and tried to control it.

_"It's a trap! Hey! Listen!"_

You stopped in the middle of the hall and huffed irritably. "For crying out loud, what do I have to do to get this nagging thing to leave me alo-"

Something suddenly grabbed you and pulled you into a room on your right. Before you could even react, a pair of hands ripped the robe from your body and you were pushed into a tub full of scalding hot water. You broke the surface of the water, gasping for breath, as the steam increased significantly around you. Not from the water, but from your body heating the liquid inside the tub.

The small voice sighed in the back of your mind. _"I warned you."_

You suddenly felt two hands push your head under the water only to yank you back up. A strong scent suddenly assaulted your nose as an unpleasant scratching sensation pummeled your scalp. The anxiety bubbling in your chest fueled the fire burning under your skin, causing the water in the tub to boil as you tried to catch your bearings.

"_**Gerda, what the fuck?**_" You exclaimed. You were suddenly shoved under the water once more. The two hands that had been attacking your scalp were suddenly tossing you around in the boiling water like a leaf getting swirled around in a river current.

The nursemaid yanked you out of the water and began scrubbing you down with something prickly and sweet smelling. "Oh, hush up! If you had just listened to me in the first place, I wouldn't have to be this rough!"

You were suddenly pulled from the tub and thrown against the counter filled with various oils, soaps, and other toiletries. The heat emanating from your body nearly evaporated all the water dripping down your skin, but that didn't stop the sudden onslaught of a soft towel whirling around your head, shoulders, chest, stomach, hips, and legs. A loud shriek of surprise erupted from your lips as you felt the plush fabric dip between your legs to dry off your most intimate area.

"_**Gerda!**_" You pleaded as you fought against the towel wrapping around your torso. Tears were beginning to form at the corners of your eyes.

The burning in your core was unbearable. You just needed a minute to calm down. Things were happening so fast, and you still barely understood what was happening. You knew that you had just gone through a rough bath, but the anxiety that had built up inside of you had caused your magic to ignite deep inside of you. A magic that you were always careful of using because it was difficult to control and was hazardous when you lost control of it.

"Not now, Missy," the nursemaid grunted. She grabbed you by the arm and hauled you out of the bathroom and down the hall to your room. The other maids and stewards had suddenly materialized out of thin air and could be seen scurrying around trying to finish up the final preparations for the ball. You felt fear and humiliation join in with the anxiety burning in the pit of your stomach as they all leered at you with smug faces.

After all, you were the bastard ward; the dog that everyone kicked around. What was better for them but to see the mongrel you were being scrubbed down like some flea-ridden animal and dragged around the castle in nothing but a towel? Your humiliation fed their inner sadists.

Steam was spiraling around your body as you were dragged into your room and thrown onto your bed. You could hear your blood singing in your ears as tears were beginning to slip down your face one by one. Your body was burning hotter and hotter as the fear, anger, anxiety, and humiliation bubbled in your chest.

You felt the nursemaid's hands on your body once again as Gerda tried to put you into your undergarments. Your eyes snapped wide open, but you couldn't see anything through the screen of steam emanating from your body. "_Gerda, get away from me!_"

"Not a chance, Miss," the nursemaid replied diligently as she pulled your panties over your hips. "You are getting ready for this ball whether you like it or not."

You couldn't control it anymore. The fire burning deep within your gut was about to be released and there was no way you were going to stop it. "_I SAID GET THE FUCK AWAY!_"

The towel wrapped around your body ignited in a fireball as a whirlwind of flames spiraled around your body. All the humiliation and anxiety fluttered away as the tornado of fire swirled around your body, burning everything touching your skin. A loud shriek of pain filled the air, but you couldn't hear it over the roar of the flames.

Once you were given the time you needed to calm down, you were able to control the fires blazing at your bared skin. The towel and your undergarment had burned up into small bits of ash and the top pelt on your bed was scorched. After a few more calming breaths, the steam dissipated, leaving you completely exhausted.

This was one thing you absolutely hated about your magic.

You pushed yourself up onto shaking arms and gazed around the room in a daze. It seemed that the only thing you had scorched in the room was the top pelt on your bed. That was good. That was very-

Your heart dropped in your chest as your eyes fell on Gerda kneeling on the floor, cradling her hands and whimpering in agony. "Oh..no…Gerda!" You leapt from your bed and dropped to your knees next to the old nursemaid. "Gerda, are you alright? Let me see your hands!"

The smell of burning flesh bombarded your nose as the maid slowly extended her hands. They were charred black in some areas, bright red in others, and deep fishers from where the skin and flesh had cracked open drizzled blood onto the floor. Tears formed in your eyes as you gasped at the horrid injury you had caused.

You gently took Gerda's hands in yours and you focused your magic on your hands. Steam rose gently from your skin as a warm, tingling sensation prickled down your arms, through your fingers, and into the old maid's hands. A soft, golden glow encircled both sets of hands and the rancid smell of burning flesh ebbed away as the burns on the older woman's hands slowly faded.

You finished healing the old nursemaid's hands and let the golden hue disperse. You suddenly felt dizzy. Your breaths came in heavy pants as your vision blurred. "Dammit…"

You collapsed onto the floor.

Gerda quickly cradled you into her arms and shook you gently. You were suddenly so light in her arms. She could literally see the excess fat that barely existed on your body as it was deteriorate; leaving you practically skin and bone. "Miss, Miss, oh no! Wake up, dear! Come on, Honey, wake up!"

You groaned slightly at the feeling of Gerda's hand slapping your face. "Gerda….sorry…I'm so sorry…I didn't mean to burn you…" Tears slipped from your eyes. "They were all laughing at me…I got scared…I was humiliated…I lost control of my frustration…I'm so…so sorry."

The old nursemaid sighed irritably. "Don't be sorry, dear. I should apologize for not listening to you. You did try to warn me, more than once if I remember right."

She gazed at your limp body in her arms. "Honey, when was the last time you ate anything, dear? Using those two spells shouldn't have exhausted you this much."

You felt your stomach churn as it begged for food. "Y-Yesterday…at lunch…"

"Was lunch all you ate yesterday?" Gerda gasped. "You barely finished the bowl of chowder you had for lunch yesterday!"

You nodded pitifully. "I…I also transformed three or four times last night…"

Gerda sighed heavily. "No wonder why you're so exhausted," she reprimanded. "You know you need to eat in order to use your magic! Otherwise it'll devour your entire being!"

You smiled weakly. It was true. The major drawback to your powers was that how much of it you used almost directly correlated with how much food you ate. Your magic would burn up the nutrients in your body before it went on to dissolve your body fat, what little there was of it, and finally went to your muscles and internal organs.

If you wanted to use large amounts of your powers, you would either have to refrain from using them for a while to build up your fat storage or eat an ungodly hefty amount of food constantly. That was one thing you liked about going to the pub. For some reason, you could drink as much alcohol as you wanted and your powers never ceased. It would even keep your magic from eating away at your body when you used it, so long as you drank. Unfortunately, that made it nearly impossible for you to get drunk.

There was one thing about this little setback that you were happy for, however. As of right now, your powers were not fully matured, and they would not reach their full potential until either one of two things happened: the person who had instated your magic died, or you produced an heir and passed on your powers. To put it simply, the only way that your powers would finally become fully developed when your mother died or when you finally had a child.

The fact that your powers were still unstable meant that the one person in your family who had ever actually loved you, you mother, was still alive and well.

You had always longed for the day when your powers would be completely mature. That would mean no more steam eating away at your body whenever you used your magic, you wouldn't have to worry about your emotions causing a slip like what just happened, and, lastly, you could leave Arendelle and the contract that kept you here and take your rightful place as the Queen of the Godswood; just as your mother was doing, and her mother, and her mother's mother, and her grandmother's mother before her. However, knowing that the only way your powers would reach that point was if your own mother died always left an unpleasant taste in your mouth.

The title "Queen of the Godswood" was really all it was: a title. Your mother was not a royal. She was actually just the daughter of a hunter far to the north; passed the north mountain. The only reason that the honorary had even been added was because your family had been the guardians of all the forests, the animals that inhabited them and the protectors of the Godswood for generations. The magic that was passed down from generation to generation was your vow to protect them.

Gerda gently set you down on the scorched pelt on your bed and rushed to your bedroom door. She ordered something from a new maid in a hushed tone and returned shortly after with a plate full of fatty meats and bread. The old nursemaid sat down next to your limp body and placed the tray on your lap before helping you into a sitting position.

"Here, dear, eat this. It'll help."

You stared down at the plate of food and felt your stomach implode on itself. You wanted to dive into the food in front of you and devour it like the wild animal you knew you were, but you didn't. You knew there was no way you were going to keep yourself from eating in any other way, and you also knew that Gerda would reprimand you if you did, so you just sat there and stared at the meat and bread resting in your lap.

A soft hand patted your arm. "Don't worry about being a proper lady this time, Miss," Gerda said calmly.

You smiled gratefully at the old nursemaid and devoured the food in front of you like a ravenous wolf. You understood that once your strength was back you would have to prepare for the ball in a couple of hours, but you could live with that. It was only a ball. How bad could it be?

* * *

**Hello, Dears! I hope you are all still enjoying the story so far. I haven't had much time to work on this story, but it is just a little side work for me to have fun with while I work on my main story. Once WWMS is completely done, then I'll be able to focus on this one more. **

**Thank you all very much for your support!**

**-FMM**


	8. Ballroom Announcement

The ballroom was completely packed with people. Nobles from all over the kingdom, and even some royals from neighboring countries, had made it to the occasion. With so many people crammed into one room, the temperature had increased substantially. Though, compared to the blistery before snow fall winter wind outside, some would say that it was an enjoyable heat.

Elsa stood at the slightly lifted platform in the back of the room where her throne was located. She was wearing a violet ball gown instead of her typical ice dress, although the style held many of the same qualities, and her hair was tied in her famous braid that draped over her shoulder. Just because the event was formal enough to call for the queen to be forced to give up her ice gown for a more suitable, more "appropriate" gown, didn't mean that the occasion was so up-tight that she had to tie her hair in that ungodly uncomfortable bun. She had no idea how her mother had managed to wear that hairstyle every day, but it nearly killed her each time.

She bowed to the noble couple that her head steward, Kai, introduced to her and thanked them for attending. Once the man and woman were gone, Elsa went back to scouring the sea of people. There was only one person she was looking for, since Anna was bouncing from one foot to the other in boredom next to her, and that person was you.

Ever since she had overheard your and Anna's conversation in the stables concerning the ball, she had made it her priority to make this event absolutely perfect. She had pulled all of her strings in order to make sure that all of the food the chefs in the kitchen made was amongst your favorites, along with all of her and Anna's favorite chocolates since she knew her sister would have had a fit if there weren't any. All of the decorations were navy blue and red instead of the typical green and purple that accompanied the Arendelle royal family sigil. After hearing just how concerned you were about even going to the ball, much less being the guest of honor, she wanted to make sure nothing went wrong; unlike her coronation.

The queen had been so lost in thought that she hadn't heard her sister's voice beside her.

"Elsa, you're doing it again," Anna teased her older sister as she poked the elder girl's shoulder childishly.

The platinum blonde froze and realized that she was, indeed, chewing on the tip of her thumb yet again. She quickly clasped her hands together and placed them in front of her. "I'm sorry. I suppose I am just…a little nervous."

A small, undignified snort escaped Anna's nose as she tried to contain her laughter. "A little? Elsa, you're stiff as a board. You weren't even this uptight when the priest told you to remove your gloves at during your coronation, which I am still happy to see that you are not wearing those darn things anymore."

Elsa smiled softly as she glanced at her bare hands before turning her attention to her baby sister. The red head was sporting a brand new, emerald green and white gown, since her previous dress was still sitting at Wandering Oaken's Trading Post somewhere. It was a wonder how that girl could manage to lose her own clothing.

"I am too," the blonde admitted. "Also, you look beautiful. I must say that I like the white better than the black."

Anna's eyes lit up and she turned to her sister completely. "Thank you! You look beautifuller!" There was a short pause before the princess smacked her forehead with her palm. "I did it again."

"Yes, yes, you did," Elsa laughed slightly. She went back to scanning the vast waves of people and felt something pinch her thigh. "Anna!"

The princess giggled mischievously and stuck her tongue out at her sister. "Elsa, _relax!_ I'm sure she'll be here."

Elsa felt a bright pink flush heat up her face and she gawked at the younger girl standing next to her in disbelief. "H-How did you? N-Nevermind, forget I said anything. I refuse to confirm any of your assumptions with a response."

"Too late for that," Anna teased giddily. The smile on the red head's face disappeared, however, when she saw her sister stare at her like she was about to reprimand her again. She quickly looked around for a scapegoat and pointed to the crowd of people. "Hey, what's that?"

Despite her better judgment, Elsa followed her sister's finger out to the sea of people dancing. Actually, a majority of the partygoers had stopped dancing and were staring in disbelief at something near the main doors. When whatever had captured everyone's attention finally revealed itself, her jaw nearly scraped the floor as a small gasp escaped her throat.

You peeked through the main doors leading to the ballroom and swallowed nervously. One was because you were late, and two was because this was a really, really bad idea. Why had you even agreed to do this in the first place? That's right. Anna had played your heartstrings like a skilled violin player.

You took a step back from the door and caught your reflection in a small mirror hanging on the wall. Your hair was half up and half down, with the portion that was up wrapped up in a tight, braided bun at the back of your head. The gown you were wearing hugged your body tenderly as the blue fabric almost shimmered blue-teal in the faint light, and the dark, navy blue-black sweetheart bodice wrapped around your torso was dappled with blood red embellishments. The scars on your right arm were covered by incredibly thin sleeves that reached your middle fingers on both hands.

A soft sigh of relief had escaped your lips when you had found out that Gerda had made the dress with your mother's family colors instead of your fathers. Dark blue and red definitely looked better on you than yellow and orange. Unfortunately, that didn't change the fact that it was a dress and you had to wear the damn thing, and act proper at this living essence of Hell.

You turned your attention back to the door and took a deep breath. It was now or never, and, Gods, did you want it to be never. But your duty as the queen's personal guard, and your promise to Anna, solidified your resolve. You grabbed the polished handle, pushed open the door, and stepped inside.

As you had expected, the people who were closest to the door immediately stopped what they had been doing and stared at you with shocked expressions. You could recognize a good amount of the people as you walked as slowly and gracefully as you could towards the back of the room where you knew Queen Elsa and Princess Anna would be welcoming their guests. That was where Gerda had instructed you to go when you finally entered the ballroom.

It wasn't exactly your fault that you didn't know where to go or what to really do at a party like this. Back in your father's home country, and even here when you had been traded, you had been stuck doing every possible thing the royals could think of. Helping out in the kitchens, collecting plates, offering horderves and champagne; you had even been dragged out on multiple occasions to sing while the band played music. You had done everything but actually attend a ball as an equal guest.

You continued walking with all the sophisticated grace you could muster; focusing on the decorations instead of the other guests as you made your way to the queen and princess. You were surprised to see that everything was the color of your family's house, well, your mother's house at least. A warm lump rose in your throat but you quickly swallowed it down. Now was not the time to be sentimental.

You finally reached your destination and smiled when you saw the royal sisters of Arendelle. Anna was waving at you frantically with an excited look on her face, and Elsa looked as though she had just seen Odin suddenly fall from the sky. You suddenly felt very self-conscious. Did you really look that bad?

A large, portly man with a balding head and bright, reddish-orange side burns nodded at you, signaling for you to stand in line with him in front of the Queen. You followed your instructions and stood still as you gazed at the two sisters. All the air suddenly left your lungs as you actually looked at the queen and princess instead of glance over them. They were both absolutely _beautiful_, but your eyes were on Elsa.

"_Dammit, it should be a sin to be that gorgeous,"_ you thought to yourself.

The man standing next to you cleared his throat and you prepared to curtsy. "Your majesty, I present to you-"

Oh, _**fuck!**_ You had never even thought of the introduction! What was your title? You weren't going to be exposed as the bastard ward in front of all of these people, were you? Sure, a large amount of the guests knew, but there were also quite a few who had no idea who you were. What were you going to do?

"-Her Majesty's personal guard, and Princess of the Godswood."

You curtsied properly for the queen and princess, keeping your eyes low out of respect. You glanced at the portly man to your left and smiled. "Thanks, Kai."

"Not a problem, Honey," the man whispered back to you.

You stood full height and continued to smile at the two women in front of you. "Your Majesty, Your Highness, thank you for inviting me to this gala event. I am honored to be in the presence of Arendelle's most prominent royalty."

Elsa and Anna tried to stifle the large bout of giggles that threatened to escape their throats. It was so strange seeing you act so formally in front of them, much less towards them. It was actually funny.

"Oh, come on, Honey," Anna chuckled. "You can't honestly think you're fooling us with that-" She suddenly felt something slam into her side and was quiet.

Elsa rolled her eyes at her little sister and went back to staring at you. "I should be the one thanking you. I am glad to see that our guest of honor has finally arrived. I was beginning to think that you would not show up."

"Hardly, Your Majesty," you giggled slightly. "After receiving a personal invitation from the princess herself, I simply had no choice but to attend."

The queen's smile softened and she motioned to the spot next to her. "Would you care to join us while I address everyone, my lady?"

You had to quickly place your fingers to your lips to keep from bursting out with laughter. This whole thing was ridiculous. You knew it, Elsa knew it, and even Anna knew it. The three of you hadn't addressed each other so formally since you had first arrived at the castle several years ago, and even then it had only lasted for three weeks at the absolute maximum.

When you finally had yourself under control, you bowed slightly to the Ice Queen. "Thank you, Your Majesty, but I do not think that a commoner such as myself should tarnish your presence when you address your guests. I believe I will stand off to the side."

"But I insist," Elsa replied without missing a beat. "You are the guest of honor after all."

You shot a small glare at Elsa, whose gaze never wavered. She knew she had you. As soon as the queen "insists" upon anything it is basically an order, a law, and you had just been ordered to stand next to Arendelle's Monarch in front of all of these people; most of which knew you were a bastard. What on earth could be going through that woman's mind?

A strangled sigh filtered through your lips as you slowly, painfully ascended the three steps and stood by the queen's side. Your heart was hammering in your chest and you could feel everyone's eyes on you. They were demanding to know who you were and what gave you the right to join the kingdom's beloved monarch so casually.

"_It's not my idea,"_ you thought frantically. _"She asked me to. Elsa asked me to. The queen practically ordered me to stand here. I don't deserve to be here. I know that. Please, just stop staring at me!"_

Elsa turned to the guests and announced with a voice that flowed through the room clear enough for everyone to hear. "Good evening! I would personally like to thank you all for coming. As you are aware, this is a celebration to commemorate the fall of a great threat that wiped out five families in our kingdom and killed at least twenty individuals."

She nodded to the few guardsmen stationed to her right and they, along with several other men, heaved the pelt of the guardian bear you had silenced into the ballroom. They spread the large fur on the floor in front of the throne and a wave of awe filtered through the crowd. No one could believe just how _**huge**_ the monster had actually been.

"I would like to apologize to the families who lost their loved ones to this creature," Elsa continued. Her gaze focused on a handful of people in the audience, who you could only assume were the relatives of those the bear had killed. "If I had known about this threat sooner, I would have done more to stop it. Unfortunately, certain members of my own council had decided to keep this a secret from me, so with a heavy heart filled with remorse and shame I apologize."

The queen suddenly extended her hand to you. "However, I also would like to thank this brave woman for ridding the kingdom of this monster. She has proved herself noble and worthy of becoming not only my and my sister's personal guard, but a member of my council as well."

A wave of astonished gasps fluttered through the audience. Your eyes widened as you stared at Elsa incredulously. "Y-Your Majesty, surely you do not mean it."

"But I do," Elsa confirmed. "You have always been there for me when I needed help the most as children. I do not know where you have been for the past three years, but I am willing to look over everything that you may or may not have done, and ask that you will stay here in the castle as a member of my council."

You could hear an aggravated chatter permeate from the crowd. Those who knew who you were had scowls on their faces as they glowered at you. Others who originally might not have had any problem with you suddenly found you to be a threat. Whispers of "What makes her so special?" and "I wonder how much she had to bribe to get her way to where she's standing," met your ears and you shook your head.

"Your Majesty, I am honored, but I cannot join your council-"

"I'd say that you shouldn't even be the queen's personal guard!" A young prince from a neighboring country proclaimed from the crowd. The man had jet black hair and was wearing brown trousers, a white jacket, and a blue sash.

Your eyes narrowed at the man. There wasn't a doubt in your mind that he had only come to the event because he had intended to try and woo Elsa. A small puff of air snorted through your nose as you smirked at the prince. Suitors were all the same, especially when they viewed a possible threat to their scheme.

Elsa's gaze solidified as she stared at the man. "Prince Rickon of Wales, how dare you disrespect my personal guest and oldest friend? What makes you believe that she is unfit to be my and my sister's guard?"

The prince was slightly taken aback by the queen's venomous tone, but he quickly composed himself and pushed forward. "Your Majesty, I mean you no disrespect, but I happen to know that the woman standing to your left is but the bastard of a king who betrayed your father many years ago. She has no right to be joining you on that platform, or to even be alive for that matter."

He suddenly barked with laughter as he pointed at you. "Also, I have a difficult time believing that his…_woman_ could have taken down this beast on her own as you have said. She is far too frail, dainty, and petite. I'm sure she probably saw the **man** that truly killed the monster die along with it and took the credit."

Murmurs of agreement sounded from the audience as the prince smiled haughtily.

Elsa's eyebrows furrowed. She was about to say something when you raised your hand. She stared at you in shock as you smiled at her.

"If I may, Your Majesty?"

The queen scanned over your features and nodded slowly. "Proceed."

You descended the steps and walked until you were only an arm's reach away from the prince. He was barely taller than you were, and you were not even wearing heels. That alone caused a smirk to capture your lips.

"Your highness," you curtsied politely and smiled at the man in front of you, "you do not believe that I am qualified for the job of protecting the Queen and the Princess, correct?"

The prince blushed slightly. "W-Well, of course not. You are but a simple woman. Women do not have the strength or the power needed in order to be a guard or take down a beast like the one lying there." He pointed to the bear pelt.

"The queen is a woman, and she has the power to control ice and snow. Are you saying that she does not have strength or power?" You reveled in the sweat that immediately broke out on the prince's brow.

"Allow me to prove you wrong, Prince Rickon," you state firmly. You kneel down and pull a knife from the holster strapped to your ankle. The prince backed away quickly.

"What are you doing?" He asked shakily.

"Not attacking you if that is what you think." You cut the sleeves from your dress and let the fabric fall to the floor; revealing the marks on your right arm. A gasp of horror and shock filled the room.

"I sustained these scars when I saved Queen Elsa and Princess Anna. They were being chased by the bear while I was trying to hunt it. When I noticed who it was attacking, I willingly put my life in danger trying to save them. If you do not believe me, then believe Her Majesty, Queen Elsa of Arendelle!"

Your voice echoed through the ballroom with a power that no one had expected to hear. The some of the guests were beginning to turn red in the face while others turned white as a sheet. Awkward coughs sounded here and there. Prince Rickon was so taken aback and embarrassed that a thin sheen of sweat had broken out across his face as he stared at you with wide eyes. No one was going to question the queen's word, and you knew it. That was exactly why you had said it.

Anna had snuck around the crowd during your rant and was now standing in front of the band. "Okay, guys, I need you to start playing now. We can't let this get awkward, now, can we? Let's go!"

The band immediately began playing an upbeat tune. Some of the people in the crowd went back to dancing while others shuffled back to the refreshments tables like kicked puppies, but the prince had simply stayed rooted where he was. The poor man looked like he was about to faint.

You smirked inwardly and turned on your heel. You strutted your way back to the steps and offered Elsa your hand. "As your personal guard, I believe I should offer you the first dance."

Elsa snapped out of her complete shock and smiled as she took your hand. "I believe you make a valid argument."


	9. Morning After

**I finally broke and got a Tumblr: for those of you who want to know.**

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The Queen of Ice and Snow spun around lithely on the balls of her feet as she danced around her room. Small wisps of snow and frost were shimmering from her fingertips as her regal ice gown materialized on her body. A soft hum sounded from her lips as she sang quietly to herself like a young girl.

Last night had been _perfect._ No, not perfect. It had been more than perfect. It had been absolutely _**magical**_!

After you had silenced Prince Rickon for a good portion of the night, you had asked her to dance. Of course, she had been a little hesitant at first, but the look in your eye had eased her worries. Plus, something had told the blonde that you would have dragged her onto the dance floor whether she consented or not.

Everything else that happened after that seemed to whirl by in a wonderful blur. She had watched happily as you and Anna made complete fools of yourselves by dancing like a couple of drunken women in a tavern when the band decided to play something a little more uplifting than a slow and graceful Waltz. Even though the princess had not had any alcohol that night, she had shared quite a decent amount of wine with you whenever you slid off the dance floor. The fact that you had managed to do so in heels was a feat that even the Queen herself thought was quite impossible.

Whenever she had been stuck in conversation with one of the nobles of the kingdom, she would sneak glances of you out of the corner of her eye. Out of all of the sophisticatedly dressed individuals in the room, to her you were the most gorgeous of them all; even when your eyes caught the platter full of honeycomb bits and you instantly devoured the chewy treat with childish fervor. A small chuckle had escaped her lips at the sight and the lord she had been talking to must have thought that she was laughing at a joke he had finished telling, because he had made it his intention to continue boring her with some of the worst puns in the whole country.

Elsa ceased her dancing but continued to hum as she gazed out her window at the green gardens below. A soft sigh escaped her lips. You and Anna were running around the lightly snow dusted ground in the late morning sun with Summit jumping and barking excitedly; both of you were clad in your horseback riding clothes. It was apparent that you must have been playing tag by the way the princess was running and squealing in a desperate attempt to stay out of your reach.

Her eyes scanned over Anna as she, unknowingly, ran headlong into the decent sized pond located towards the back of the gardens. A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she watched her sister break the surface of the pool. The white riding shirt underneath her green jacket was clinging to every curve of her lithe frame while her brown, leather riding trousers reflected the sun as she scrambled out of the freezing water.

She focused her attention on you when she suddenly saw you fall to the ground, roaring with laughter. A faint blush coated her cheeks as her eyes trailed over your more exposed figure. You were wearing a simple pair of worn out, black wool breeches with a navy blue sash holding them snugly around your supple hips. The old and faded brown shirt you were wearing was so small on you that it stretched tightly over your breasts, while the sleeves had become so short that it made more sense to roll them up in an attempt to make it look like it fit. She was even sure that the boots on your feet were the only pair you had, because you were constantly wearing them through the castle, in the stables, in the market, at the forge; everywhere.

That didn't matter to her though. In her eyes, you would have looked good if you had cut three holes into a potato sack and wore it around like an evening gown. She felt like she was a young teenager again; watching you and Anna frolic in the gardens while she shut herself away and waited patiently for her turn to have you all to herself.

Oh, mighty heroes of Sovngarde, had she looked forward to that mystical time when you would visit her. When her father had told her one day that there would be another princess living with them, she had been afraid that she would hurt you. But after seeing you for the first time, she knew she didn't have to be afraid of her powers.

You had been shy and meek back then, as was herself, but your heart had been purer than gold and always warm to her and everyone around you. One day, in an attempt to get her to open up to you more, you had randomly started talking about the lands in which you hailed. The way you would talk about your home whenever you visited would always enthrall her, making her hang on your every word and soon they had become her favorite stories.

There was a world much like the Ice Queen's own in your stories. It was full of kings, queens, princes, princesses, and other nobles. When you told these stories, she noticed that your tone held bitter contempt.

But the stories that were often her favorites were the ones were the ones that consisted of magic. There was a land to the north, your other home where your mother lived, that was filled with magical creatures: wolves and other beasts as tall as small horses, dragons that breathed fire and ice, spiders the size of dogs that spat venom, sea serpents that protected the coast from ill will, and people of every shape and size (some of which were not even human but still walked and talked as such). You often spoke of how a beautiful woman clad in white robes and wolf pelts and a crown made of deer antlers protected the forests with her magic. According to your stories, there was even an age old forest called the "Godswood" that held strange trees that had supernatural capabilities of their own.

One day when you were getting to the climax about how a young huntress, and future "Queen" and protector of the Godswood who oddly fit your description, was about to take down a vicious frost troll that had killed the girl's friend, Elsa's powers surfaced. She had been so indulged in your "story" that when you suddenly roared in an attempt to mimic the troll, a spire of ice erupted behind her. The two of you stared aghast at the vicious looking thing that had exploded from the frosted floor.

She had truly been afraid then. Her secret had been revealed, and she had been so sure that you would have run away screaming in terror. She had braced herself for the blood curdling shriek that she just _knew _was going to fill the air, but it never came.

Instead she felt your hand on her cheek as you turned her head so she was looking directly at you. She had been met with the warmest smile she had ever seen in her life, and soft, caring eyes full of empathy and understanding. What happened next nearly caused her soul to leave her body.

You winked at her and kissed her forehead. When you pulled back, her skin was burning from the heat of your lips, and the smile on your lips broadened. A single phrase left your lips.

"_Watch this."_

She watched in awe as a blue and white flame suddenly appeared in your hand and you threw it at the bed. The huge piece of furniture froze instantly. You then went on to completely dissipate the ice and frost that had covered the room.

After that, you had told her _your _secret. How you were really just the oldest, bastard daughter of the king her father had received you from. The stories about the land to the north had been true, and they had been your life. The beautiful Queen of the Godswood was your mother, and you would one day take her place as protector of the forests.

Unfortunately, once you had finished your explanation, a loud gasp filled the air from behind the two of you. A new maid at the time was standing in the doorway. Her eyes were wide with shock and fear.

She had seen and heard everything.

What happened next was a blur. All that the queen remembered was how the maid had gone screaming from her room. Soon after, a small handful of guards burst through her door and dragged you out of the bedroom kicking and screaming. Despite the fact that you were only a young teenager, you had managed to knock out at least three of them before they restrained you and, quite literally, kicked you into the hall.

She had honestly thought that she would never lay eyes on your beautiful face ever again at that point. She knew all too well that acts of treason often resulted in death, and you, whether you had intended to or not, had been the object of treachery in the eyes of the council members. However, when your beaten and bruised body and warm, blackened eyes stepped into her bedroom a week later, the blonde had leapt into your arms as tears streamed down her face.

Elsa shook her head at the memory. She never knew why her father had fought the council so hard in order to keep you alive, but she was definitely glad he had. It wasn't long after that she knew she had fallen hopelessly in love with you.

"And that love has only gotten stronger as the years have gone by," she whispered to herself as she watched Summit drag you around the garden by your bootstraps on Anna's order. She smiled fondly and quickly sprinted from her bedroom. She froze the railing and slid down the ice covered wood, receiving surprised gawks from some of the more recent additions to the castle staff.

Gerda stopped at the bottom of the railing and smiled at the queen with a small quirk in her eyebrow. "Feeling a little spry today, Your Majesty?"

Elsa flew from the rail, threw a wave of ice across the floor, and slid across the frozen wood like a graceful skater. "I may or may not be feeling a little…childish." She admitted giddily as she rounded the old nursemaid.

"Would it have anything to do with a certain body guard you spent most of your evening with, Your Majesty?" The nursemaid teased.

A bright red blush peppered Elsa's cheeks as she nearly slipped on her own ice. She stared in distressed shock at the old woman. It was just like when she was a little girl and Gerda caught her freezing her royal etiquette tutor's tea.

"W-Whatever gave you that idea?"

Dammit! She stuttered! She hadn't stuttered since she was a child! How could the old nursemaid still have this effect on her after all these years?

Gerda smiled at the distressed queen. "Oh, just the way you two were acting. I haven't seen you dance since you were a girl, Your Majesty, and yet it would seem that the young woman playing tag with your sister outside somehow convinced you to dance for most of the night. Did you honestly believe you could slide that passed me?"

"For a minute there, I actually did," Elsa admitted honestly as a shy smile tugged at her lips. "I should know better than to even try at this point. I have no idea how you do it, Gerda."

"I've known you since you were born, dear," the old nursemaid waved off. "All of your ticks, mannerisms, all of your looks and expressions; I know it all. It is my job, after all."

Elsa laughed awkwardly. "Y-Yes, well," she curtsied to her old nanny and smiled sweetly. "If you'll excuse me, Gerda, I have some business to take care of." She held her chin high as she dismissed herself from the old maid with as much authority a queen could, however her attempt was shattered when the woman called after her.

"Tell Anna and Honey to be careful around the pond, would you, dear?" Gerda requested in a teasing tone. "We don't need anyone falling in and catching a cold."

Elsa froze like she had when her maid had caught her sneaking chocolate from the kitchen before Anna was born. A small whimper escaped her lips. "I'll make sure to do that."

She sprinted down the hall towards the back of the castle where the gardens were.

Gerda chuckled to herself as she continued with her duties. "I swear. Those three never change."

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**Hello Dears! Look who's back from the brink of disaster! Finals are done, so now I can spend the next two weeks focusing on my stories! Then I have to get back to work and try to get back into the swing of real life haha!**

**Due to a few questions regarding whether or not I have a Tumblr account, I just recently got one and am slowly but surely figuring it out. What can I say, I'm not a social media person hahaha! If anyone has a Tumblr and wants to make any oneshot suggestions for me, feel free to write me up!**


	10. Secret Revealed

You could barely keep your eyes open as you sat in the council room. Between the warm sunlight beating down on you through the windows and the melancholic, monotone voice of one of the men of the queen's council, you were surprised your head had yet to collide with the table. However, your desire to make a good impression with the council kept you awake.

This was your first meeting as a member of Queen Elsa's council. You sat to the queen's left while Princess Anna sat to her right, looking equally as bored as you were tired. You recognized a small handful of people amongst the council as members of your own organization.

A small smirk tugged at the corner of your mouth. You wouldn't need them to relay what had been discussed at Elsa's meetings now that you were part of the council. Actually, you wouldn't have needed them even if you weren't part of the royal council. As the queen's guard, it was your duty to accompany her to any important meetings she was called to.

Unfortunately, that put a halt to most of your work as well. You had been in the middle of crafting a spectacular piece of armor at your forge when a messenger arrived with a letter calling you to this meeting. Needless to say that the profanities you had spewed the entire way to the castle would have caused mothers to cover their children's ears.

You had, of course, arrived late, and not just late. Despite the winter winds blistering outside, you had burst through the doors of the council room riding your trusted wolf, Summit, drenched with sweat, and practically naked from the waist up due to the fact that your white work shirt was tied around your waist; leaving your chest covered with a simple bandage wrap. The elder members of the court had glared at you in disgust as you received your dress shirt form Kai and dressed in the middle of the room, but you hardly cared. Managing a forge was hot, agonizing work, and you took every chance you could to cool down while you sculpted the white hot metal melting in the vast fires you created.

Unfortunately, now that you were seated and physically drained from the manual labor and the toll your magic had taken on your body, you could barely stay awake. Of course, you looked awake and alert by the way you were sitting in your chair, but you were barely even able to comprehend anything that was being said. You had heard someone mention how "honored" they were that you had joined them, but you knew that had been a lie of courtesy. No one wanted you here, except for say the queen, princess, and the few members who doubled as members of your council. A few other things about "heirs" and "Arendelle's future" popped up once or twice, but you missed it completely.

You felt your eyes slip shut and realized that you had left them closed for just a bit longer than you should have when one of the council member's voices caught your attention. You had never heard this man's voice before. However, he sounded strained and unsure as he cleared his throat.

"Now that we have that taken care of, Your Majesty, I suggest we focus on the matter at hand. King Brynjolf of the Land of Coals will be arriving within the week. He says that he has a proposal for her Majesty that could benefit the kingdom."

A loud _THUD_ echoed through the room as your fist collided with the table.

"A _proposal_?" The angered question left your mouth before you had time to think. "You mean he is a _suitor_ looking to seduce and make a wedding proposal to Queen Elsa?" You huffed in disapproval.

"Her Majesty is of age and needs to marry and produce an heir in order to secure the kingdom," the man shot back venomously.

You leaned back in your seat and smirked. "For what reason? _Her Majesty_ is more than capable than ruling the kingdom on her own. Besides, our crowned princess is already being courted by a young man. Shouldn't that be more than enough to secure the kingdom's future?"

"_A suitor,"_ you thought amusingly. _"I almost feel sorry for the poor man."_

"Princess Anna is not of age to marry as of yet," Elsa answered indirectly. "As much as I approve of Ice Master Kristoff, I will not give my blessing just yet. After another year or two perhaps, until then the two will have to wait until the princess is of age."

Your eyes widened at the Queen. She had her regal mask on, but you could tell that she didn't like the idea of having a stranger from another kingdom visiting just to court her. Plus, this was a _King_. Who knew what kind of pompous, haughty man would strut through the doors upon his arrival?

"That still doesn't-"

"You will hold your tongue, bastard!" One of the middle aged men of the council roared. "Because of your little stunt at the party last week, we are stuck hosting King Brynjolf because _**you**_ chased off Prince Rickon, along with all the other suitors who have even tried to court Her Majesty over the years! I had hoped that you would stay missing or even die in your absence so we could finally have a chance to secure Arendelle's future, but you just had to return and completely ruin everything!"

Elsa was about to scold the man when a vicious snarl ripped through the air. Summit had leapt to his feet with his teeth bared and his scruff bristled. He was about to launch at the man, but froze mid-crouch when your voice filtered through the room soothingly.

"Summit, down."

The wolf relaxed his lips and slowly returned to lying by your side. His head peeked over the table and he rested his massive muzzle next to your hand; nuzzling it ever so slightly in his gesture for wanting to be petted. You glanced at the canine out of the corner of your eye and gently stroked his wide head.

He had grown since you returned to the castle. That wasn't very surprising though, considering that dire wolves were known for growing quickly as pups before going through a slow growth spurt that lasted until their eighth year; if they lived that long, of course. Now the wolf's shoulder reached the top of your head when standing straight.

"_I will have to find him a mate soon,"_ you thought lazily as you distracted yourself from the council member's insult by scratching Summit's muzzle. _"My baby boy is nearly full grown. I might have to make a return trip to the north so we can breed some wolves."_

Elsa's eyes widened as she watched how calmly you had sedated the massive wolf growling contently by your side. She had been so sure that Summit was going to spring at the councilman that a thin layer of frost coated her palms. A sigh of relief wafted past her lips as she stared at you. There was an all-knowing smirk set on your lips that proved that you knew exactly what the man was talking about.

She felt her insides turn to mush at the sight of you lounging mightily in your seat. Despite the fact that you were officially a member of the guards, you had refused to wear the dull, grey uniform with the "idiotic" hat and gloves. Instead you adorned a formal, black shirt with purple stripes running from your collar, over your shoulders, and down the tops of your arms. Your mother's family sigil, an elaborate tree made up of exquisite knot work from another country, was embroidered over your left breast; the trunk was navy blue while the circles of leaves were a bright crimson. The Arendelle royal family mark had been made into a silver pin that sparkled prominently on your right breast.

Elsa hadn't particularly liked the idea of you wearing all black, so she had asked that the seamstresses to add a little color to the shirt. The look on your face when you had gone to your wardrobe to find your "guard's" uniform changed had been humorous to say the least. The way your eyes had misted with tears when you saw your mother's sigil embroidered into the material was more thanks than she could ever hope for.

Now the queen realized just what kind of problem she had given herself by changing your attire as she stared at you like a young princess gazed starry eyed at a valiant knight. The clothes fit you perfectly, hugging each one of your curves in a gentle caress, but the problem was the air of power and authority you had. You had your head propped up with a loose fist while the other hand lazily petted the wolf lying by your side. The warm, yet powerful look in your eyes caused everyone at the table to shiver, including the queen and princess, as you stared at the man across the table sternly. You had everyone waiting with bated breath for your reply to the councilman's outburst, but you didn't say anything; only stared.

She swallowed against the severe dryness that suddenly coated her tongue and throat. The longer she gazed at you, the more uncomfortable the strange warmth in her abdomen became. She had felt this unknown pressure before, but she still had no idea what it truly was. All she knew was that when your eyes flickered to meet hers a hot pulse caused muscles that she didn't even knew she had to clench; causing a strange painful bliss to tingle through her.

You turned your attention back to the middle aged councilman shaking in his seat. The few members of your own council that were present were cool and collected compared to this man, but you could still tell that you had affected them. The way they all clenched their hands together was proof enough.

The middle aged man finally snapped. "Well, out with it! Say something! Don't just sit there as I insult you, you damn-"

"I chased those men away because they were unsuited to marry Queen Elsa," you interrupted with a soft voice that somehow managed to raise goose bumps on everyone's skin. "After knowing Her Majesty for so long, I grew to tell which men she had absolutely no interest in just by looking at her facial expression. I am quite sure none of you can read through her mask of regality, but I can."

You glanced at the Queen with less intense eyes. "Right now, she may appear to be calm and collected, but she is just as nervous about me as the rest of you. None of you even noticed. However, I am not so dim-witted as to let such hints go by unnoticed; the way her pupil twitches, the slight bob of her neck as she swallows, even the slightest drop in temperature that went unnoticed by the rest of you as she sits in her chair shows that she is nervous.

"I noticed many of these same qualities when the topic of _suitors_ is brought up. When Her Majesty gazed upon Prince Rickon, I saw her eyes twitch ever so slightly as her lips pulled down for the briefest second. The other suitors, no matter how charming or kind they may or may not have been, received many of the same reactions that showed that she was uninterested. I merely told them such and allowed them to take their leave without getting their tender feelings hurt."

Elsa's breath hitched slightly. The fact that you had been able to see all of that would have been considered eerie to some people, but to her it was one of the most romantic things she had ever witnessed; far better than anything that any suitor had done thus far. Just knowing that you were looking so intently at her was enough to make her swoon.

Your demeanor took a drastic turn, however. You smiled giddily at the council and raised your hands in an attempt to show no ill-intent. "But, I could be completely wrong. Maybe there was a suitor or two that had caught Her Majesty's fancy and I ran them off due to a miscommunication.

"Either way, that does not resolve the issue of this King Brynoffer, or whatever the man's name is. I do not believe that he would be a good husband for Queen Elsa, so I suggest that we simply write him and give him our sincerest apologies for getting his hopes up. What says the rest of the council?"

Everyone at the table was completely dumbfounded. You had gone from a powerful authority figure that held the attentions and respect of everyone at the table to the teasing, giddy, immature bastard ward that everyone knew you for. The members of the Queen's council, along with the queen and princess themselves, were still trying to wrap their heads around your sudden change.

However, those who were a part of your council were less confused. They knew your antics, and had foreseen this little endeavor surfacing when the topic of the King of the Land of Coals' visit came up. And, secretly, that had been the opening they had been waiting for.

The only other woman in the council sat up straight and turned her attention to you. "So, you are saying that Her Majesty will not find this man fitting to be her husband? Is that it?"

You glanced at the woman out of the corner of your eye. "I can almost guarantee it."

"Have you even met King Brynjolf, my lady?" the woman continued in her interrogation.

"I cannot say I have, however I have heard of him. He is said to be a large brute of a man who has little integrity as a human being. It is rumored that he has already fathered half a dozen bastards with women from whorehouses, and that was before he came into power. The Land of Coals is financially sound and is said to have a high influence in the steel trade, but that is expected to change now that Brynjolf has taken over."

"But you would agree that it is widely known that he is a strong, handsome man who has sired many children despite being unwed?" The woman folded her hands on the table.

You contemplated your next answer carefully. There was something in the other woman's voice that sent your instincts into a wild frenzy. She was trying to play you into saying something that would benefit her, and possibly the other members of the council.

"I can attest to hearing such rumors." You saw a small smirk spread across the woman's face and knew that the truth had failed you this round. "Might I ask just what it is that you are playing at, Lady Hanne?"

The woman smiled sweetly and waved her hands in front of her submissively. "Nothing at all," she turned to Elsa. "Your Majesty, have you ever heard of a spell that allows one to bear a child without having to consummate a marriage?"

Elsa felt her ears warm at the idea of any physical intimacy that took place after marriage. She cleared her throat and tried to reinstate the regality in her voice; though she knew it wouldn't come nearly as powerful as yours. "No, I cannot say I have ever heard of such a spell. Does such magic even exist?"

Lady Hanne smiled at the queen. "Oh, yes, but it is rare. It is said to be a very special magic that resides within a certain family. According to legend, the members of this family can take the essence from any man or woman and impregnate another woman without having to take part in coitus."

Anna's eyebrows shot up to meet her hairline. "That sounds like it could be quite the advantage, especially when used in arranged marriages when the bride and groom don't love one another! But you just said that it was a legend when before you said it was a real thing; how can it be both? Plus, how would it even work?"

"It is only a legend to those who do not believe in it," Lady Hanne explained. "I am telling you that such magic does exist, and it is said that it was last used quite some time ago. As for how it works, I do not know." She turned back to the queen. "The person who was conceived with this spell would actually be close to your age, Your Majesty."

Elsa blinked warily at the woman in her council. "My age?"

The councilwoman nodded. "Perhaps even a few months younger than you; actually, she is in Arendelle as we speak."

"Are you sure?"

"Mm-hmm, why, she's even in this very room." Lady Hanna's eyes turned to you. "Would you care to answer Princess Anna's question, My Lady?"

* * *

**Hello, Dears!**

**Ooooooh, cliffhanger, I'm such a mean author! Hopefully I will be able to get into writing up new chapters for my other stories soon. I've been very busy trying to get moved out of my apartment. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter!**

**Also, the tree that is your mother's famly sigil is a celtic knot tree of life. I thought it seemed fitting enough for the character ;)**

**-FMM**


	11. Just You Wait

Your fist slammed down on the table as you launched from your chair. "Hanne, you cum sucking _**cunt! **_How dare you disclose that secret?"

Lady Hanne cast you a smug grin as she interlaced her fingers in front of her lips. "You are upset that I revealed your secret? I'm quite surprised. I thought you would have been more offended that I accused your mother of using that spell to conceive you illegitimately from the King of Fire Blood Rock."

This time Summit was able to get onto the table. His claws clattered as they slid across the polished wood; sending papers flying in all directions. He had his jaws wrapped around Lady Hanne's neck and was about to rip out her throat when you finally called him back.

"_Summit, __**down**__!_"

The wolf whimpered in fear and immediately dropped to the floor with his ears laid back and his tail tucked between his legs. Lady Hanne still had a cool, calm and collected look in her eyes despite the fact that she nearly had her throat ripped out by a dire wolf.

You glowered at her with blood hungry eyes. Steam was beginning to form on your hands and around your neck. "My mother…never used that goddamn spell. That womanizing, lying, cheating, fuck-head of a king made her promises he _never_ intended to keep."

"Honey…"

Your body relaxed slightly at the informal sound of your nickname. You turned your head slightly only to see Elsa staring up at you with big, blue doe eyes.

"Is it true that there is a spell like that?"

You gritted your teeth as your hands balled into fists. "Yes, there is, and only the people in my family can cast it. It's a survival method to keep the Forest Guardian bloodline going if we desperately need to."

You whirled your head back to Lady Hanne. "I told King Alfarinn that the night my secret had been found out! He had asked me if what I said was true, if I really was just the bastard daughter of the King of Fire Blood Rock! If I really _did_ have powers! I told him I was and that I had stronger powers than he could ever even _**dream**_ of! Then after he convinced the council to spare my life, he made everyone make a pact swearing that we take the secret to our graves! So, why? _Why did you just break your oath?_"

This was bad. You were angry. No, you were absolutely _**furious**_.

This was the first time you had yelled in absolute rage in years. Forget yelling at Gerda when you were humiliated, don't even mention when you had yelled at Anna and Elsa for hugging you too tightly after you woke up from a three week coma, and fuck the pitiful yelp you had given to the queen to get her to run from the bear. The last time you had yelled while this angry was when you had been thrown into a small jail cell while your so-called "father" told you that you were going to be a ward to the King of Arendelle or be thrown into the ocean with your feet shackled together. You had set the jail on fire that night, but the shackles around your ankles had been bewitched to withstand magic.

You could feel a very unused power tingling at your fingertips. It was so cold it was almost hot against the pads of your fingers. Small wisps of steam began pouring from you in rivers as you glared at the woman smirking at you.

"Isn't it obvious?" Lady Hanne stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "All Arendelle needs is an heir to the throne to secure our future. Since we happen to have, as you said, a strong and handsome man such as King Brynjolf coming to try and court Her Majesty, I think we should consider our options.

"You seem to believe that Queen Elsa will not pick a suitor, so perhaps we should look into a magical interference. That way she will not have to marry someone she does not want and still produce an heir. We should at least give the Queen all of the possibilities; what with her ward and personal guard being a sorceress and all."

"I agree with Lady Hanne," one of the men from your council seconded. Soon the remaining men from your council vocalized their support, along with a few from Elsa's council. "As it was discussed earlier, the law clearly states that the Queen must at least be engaged, if not married, before the end of this year. That is only a month and a half away. However, if she is heavy with child by then, it should be alright."

"It is either King Brynjolf or the alternative," another man from your council informed.

Your whole world shattered around you in that instant. When had they discussed _**that**_? Had they talked about it before you arrived? They had to have. There was no way you would have missed a whole debate on _**that.**_

Then you remembered the soft mutterings you had missed earlier and nearly slapped your palm to your forehead. You had missed that part of the conversation.

Small blue and white flames ignited around your hands; freezing the table instantly as a small strand of lightning wove in and out of your body like an electric ferret. "You must be crazy to think that I would inject that pompous ass's essence into Elsa! I may have done some pretty heinous things because of the royal council. Because it was "for the good of the kingdom," leaving being one of them, but I absolutely will not assist in bringing another bastard child into this world!"

"Guard, stand down!" Elsa's voice demanded.

Your muscles tightened, but a soft, cool touch on your arm caused you to relax. After taking a few deep breaths, the bolt of lightning and the icy fire dissolved into thin air. The steam slowly drifted away and you felt even more exhausted than when you had entered the council room.

"Damn these powers," you cursed to yourself under your breath.

"Guard," Elsa stated firmly. "I want to listen to what Lady Hanne has to say."

You whipped your head at the queen so fast you felt your spine crack just below your neck. You were about to say something when you suddenly felt a ball of snow get shoved into your mouth. You blew a stream of fire and melted it away.

"What the hell was that for?" You growled in a raspy voice caused by the ice junks that had slipped down your throat.

"I will talk to you about keeping the rest of your powers a secret from us later," Elsa stated sternly. Her expression almost immediately softened. "I am…hurt that you could not tell me all of the magic you possess."

You felt a knife plunge itself into your heart to the hilt and twist violently. "Elsa, I didn't want to-"

"Is that any way to address your Queen?" Elsa snipped.

You straightened your posture and slammed you fist onto the pin located on your right breast. "I apologize, Your Majesty. I never meant to keep secrets from you. I was under strict orders from your late father for to divulge that information."

"Your apology is accepted," the queen forgave. "I understand that it was an order, and I am sure my father has his reason for keeping some information from me. However, you could have told me about the others. I already knew you had power over ice."

_"You still don't know all of my powers," _you thought sadly. "My sincerest apologies, My Queen; I promise that I will tell you everything I know about anything you ask from here on out."

Elsa didn't look at you. She was more focused on the woman sitting down the table from her. The apology in your voice was genuine, she knew you had been sorry for keeping secrets since you said her name so casually in the court, but Lady Hanne seemed to be the one keeping the secrets in this meeting. The impish smile on her lips revealed that she knew something.

"Lady Hanne," she focused on the woman's devious brown eyes, "I appreciate that you feel that it is important for me to know all of my options. However, it would seem that the one person who could cast this spell is severely against it. And though I am not particularly fond of the idea of having this…King Brynjolf coming to stay with us while he makes his…proposal…I understand that I should at least give the man a chance for the sake of the kingdom and it's future."

You suddenly turn from the table and walk briskly towards the door. "Excuse me, Your Majesty. I'm suddenly not feeling very well."

Elsa was about to reach for your hand when she realized that everyone in the council was staring intently at her. She let her hand settle on the table and cleared her throat. "Very well, I hope you will feel better soon"

She watched as Summit followed you out of the room, crawling on his belly. The door slammed shut and a large migraine suddenly erupted in the front of her head. "I am suddenly not feeling very well myself. I believe we will call it a day."

The council members filed out one by one in silence. When the room was finally empty, Anna turned to her pained sister and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Elsa, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Anna," the queen lied. "I just have a bit of a headache. This meeting was very stressful."

"I'm sure she had her reasons for hiding her full power from us," the princess said; barely giving her sister a chance to finish. "I mean, you hid yours for thirteen years. Plus, I think she was trying to avoid that very situation when Lady Hanne brought up her…family gift."

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, didn't you hear what Honey said?" Anna asked awkwardly. "She really doesn't think this King from the Land of Coals is a good man for you, and when a member of the council exposed her ability and puts the idea of impregnating you with the guy's…essence…Ew, that is so gross..."

"You're telling me," Elsa chuckled slightly. Her heart wasn't in it, but she at least had to pretend. "But I'm still not following what you're saying."

"Right! Well," the princess twirled her pigtail, "she doesn't want you to feel pressured to agree to carrying the child of someone who you don't like or barely even know. She also doesn't want your child to be a bastard, since that's exactly what it would be if the council did by some deal with the devil manage to convince you to go along with the magical alternative. Which kind of makes sense, don't you think? She knows the hardships of being the bastard of a royal house. I think she just wants you to be happy, marry someone you truly love, and have a child born out of love who will be accepted by everyone."

Elsa stared at the door with a heavy heart. Tears welled at the corners of her eyes as a single thought flashed through her mind. The council had convinced her. They had convinced her to undergo the alternative, but it wasn't King Brynjolf they had convinced her into using the alternative with.

* * *

You sat on the top of the large cliff overlooking the opening leading to Arendelle's harbor. Despite the fact that it was already a good few weeks into the winter season, there was only a small dusting of snow on the ground. You assumed it probably had something to do with the brief winter the city had endured earlier that summer because of Elsa.

You gazed up at the stars. Your vision was beginning to fog with tears. "Oh, Elsa…I'm so sorry…If only that damn woman hadn't even mentioned that power, then you wouldn't be stuck with the decision of marrying a man you don't know, or giving birth to a bastard child."

Summit whined and placed his massive head on your lap as you leaned against his ribcage. His thick, warm fur held the musky odor of canine and pine needles and tickled the skin of your neck. You scratched the wolf just behind the ear and sighed.

"I'm sorry for scaring you back there, boy. I didn't mean to. I just…didn't know how to deal with that."

Another whine.

"Well, sorry if I'm a little upset," you growled. "I pretty much just found out that the woman I love is either going to be engaged to someone in the next month and a half, or she's going to be pregnant with that king's bastard child!"

A soft growl sounded form Summit's belly.

"I won't have a choice, Summit!" You growled back at the wolf. "It's her decision. If she ends up falling for this man, which I doubt she will, I will support her in whatever way I can. If she decides that she doesn't want to marry him but use him to breed an heir and orders me to cast the spell, then I won't be able to do otherwise! It's either I obey or die!"

Summit bit your arm with a decent amount of pressure.

You winced in pain as you watched the wolf lock his grip. "You know damn well that I would rather die than do it, but you also know I can't. I have a responsibility as my mother's only heir to stay alive so I can become the Guardian of the Godswood when the time comes."

Another growl.

"So, I've already put my own life in danger to save Elsa and Anna before. What's your point?"

Summit shook your arm roughly, tearing the skin and shirt sleeve.

You shouted in pain and were about to drive your fist into the wolf's muzzle when everything suddenly sunk in. You lowered your fist and let your arm go limp in Summit's jaws. "You're right…There's no way I'm going to just sit by and let those old sacks of dirt ruin Elsa's life."

You stood and sprinted back to the castle. Summit trailed behind with his bright red tongue lolling about in a wolfish grin. If the royal council thought you had been running poor suitors out of the kingdom before, they were in for a real treat with this one.

* * *

**Hello Dears! Looks like the OC has a plan, and a devious one at that. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter!**


	12. Our Esteemed Guest?

A small stream of steam spewed through your mouth as you stood in the corner of the dining room and watched the visiting King, Elsa, and Anna enjoy their lunch. The princess would occasionally glance at you with pleading eyes, almost as if begging you to just throw the man out of the castle. You both had expected King Brynjolf to be bad, but this was on the verge of intolerable!

The King was handsome. You would give him that much. He was tall, standing a full head over you, with broad shoulders, dark auburn hair that cascaded in tousled waves down to his shoulders, and equally reddish-brown whiskers shadowing his strong jawline. Even the maroon tunic was something to behold with its onyx black embellishments and the black sigil of his house, crossed battle axes, embroidered in black thread on his breast.

However, that was all the King of the Land of Coals had going for him. He was loud and obnoxious as he swung his goblet filled with wine in every direction. He often made snide remarks about women and where their place should be; which, in his opinion, was on their knees between his feet. You had heard him make the derogatory comment and nearly bit your tongue off in order to keep yourself from shooting the man with the bow and arrows strapped to your back.

The King roared with laughter at his own joke that you were glad you hadn't listened to. By the look of utter disgust plastered to Princess Anna's face, and the slight crinkle in the Queen's brow, something told you it had been either very sexist, or very, very crude. You could feel the steam trapped underneath your thick hair start to burn your neck as you watched King Brynjolf drain his goblet and demand the maid in the other corner to refill it.

This maid was new to the castle; very new. You had been fortunate, or unfortunate depending on the person, enough to literally catch her as she stumbled from a tall ladder while she tried to dust the paintings in the portrait room on her first day. You could tell the young woman, more like middle aged teenager, was nervous as she shuffled up to the table and poured more wine into the King's glass with shaking hands.

When she quickly retreated back to the safe haven where the other maids and stewards were standing by idly, you noticed King Brynjolf leering at the girl's rear. Anger boiled the blood in your veins at the disgusting act. Not only had the man thoroughly examined every maid in the castle since he had arrived, but he was shamelessly flirting both the Queen _**and**_ the Princess as he let his eyes wander across both of the sisters' bosoms.

"And the council expected Elsa to fall for this man?" You murmured to yourself in disbelief. "She's practically telling him to shut the hell up and leave."

That wasn't really true, but it wasn't necessarily a lie either. Elsa was clearly running low on patience with this man. She would only reply with one word sentences, which had been reduced to slight hums as the meal went on, and she never looked at the King. Whenever she did, her blue eyes were like frozen daggers.

The King suddenly slapped his palm on the table and gazed at the large bear pelt hanging from the wall with admiration. "Say, now, who killed that monstrosity of a beast? That's gotta be the biggest, damn bear I've ever seen in my life!"

A small wave of pride swelled in your chest. At least the man knew a good kill when he saw one. That was one of two things he had going for him.

"I'd like to meet the man who killed that thing!" King Brynjolf exclaimed. "Did one of your men hunt down the beast, My Queen, or was it an offering from another suitor?"

Scratch that. The only thing this man had going for him was his looks and his looks alone. To Hell if he was a hunter or not.

For the first time the whole meal, Elsa looked at the slightly drunken man sitting to her left and replied in a full sentence. "As a matter of fact, my personal guard killed the bear about three months ago. If you would like to congratulate-"

"I want to shake the man's hand and ask him to join me in tomorrow morning's hunt!" The King interrupted rudely. "Bring him out here, Your Majesty! As much as I enjoy your fine company," his eyes settled on the Queen's breasts momentarily as he continued, "I would like to converse with someone just a bit more manly. God knows my guard is hardly a man worth talking to anymore. Isn't that right, Farkas?"

A man standing against the opposite wall from you nodded. He was also quite attractive. He was closer to your and Elsa's age than the king, and he had curly black hair, a tall, lean, muscular build, and a black shadow of scruff forming on his chin. "You are correct, Your Majesty."

You suddenly felt bad for the poor man, Farkas as the pompous king had addressed him. He seemed like a nice man. You had spoken with him briefly when the King had completely blown past you upon his arrival in order to lap at Elsa's hand like a mangy dog. He was King Brynjolf's bastard half-brother, so you had automatically felt some kind of connection with him.

Elsa's eyebrow twitched ever so slightly as she turned her attention to you. "Guard, would you be so kind as to come here for a moment. It would seem that our guest has grown tired of our company and wishes to speak with you."

The two of you locked eyes and a mental argument ensued.

"_I'd much rather not."_

_ "You have to."_

_ "No."_

_ "Yes."_

_ "I won't."_

_ "You will."_

_ "I won't."_

_ "You will."_

_ "__**No**__, I won't."_

_ "__**Yes**__, you will. Your queen demands it."_ Elsa's eyes soften as she stares at you with big, pleading, puppy eyes. _"Please?"_

You shake your head back and forth as you swear silently. You nearly stomp your foot against the wooden floor as you cursed yourself. Why did that goddamn look always have to get you?

You walked to the table as diligently as you could, which proved to be quite difficult with the Queen, Princess, and the haughty king's bastard brother snickering at your little tantrum. You reached the table and placed your fist over your heart, just underneath your sigil. This was going to be the most difficult thing you had ever done in your life.

You smiled warmly at the King and bowed ever so slightly. "Good afternoon, your Grace. I am Her Majesty, Queen Elsa's personal guard-"

The sound of booming laughter cut you off and you snarled at the floor.

King Brynjolf nearly toppled out of his chair. "God be damned to the seven gates of Hell! Not only is Her Majesty beautiful, but she has a sense of humor!" He plastered his hand to the table to keep himself upright. "Queen Elsa, you surely are something else! I knew setting my sights on you was a good idea!"

You straightened up and solidified your stance. The King's laughter died down almost immediately. Now the only things escaping his throat were small huffs of air as he wiped a tear from his eye.

"I assure you that this is no joke, Sir. I am Queen Elsa's personal guard, and the huntress who slew the bear. If you would like more proof, I would be more than happy to show you the scars I received while battling the beast."

Elsa glared at your back irritably. She knew King Brynjolf wouldn't ask you to show your scars to him, but, honestly, did you have to even suggest it? You would have to remove your shirt in order to show off your scars, and, quite frankly, she didn't like the idea of you stripping for any man; much less this womanizing _thing._

"Actually, I would like to view these scars of yours," the King replied soberly. It was the first thing he had said all day that hadn't been a derogatory comment or obnoxious. "I have some difficulty believing that a woman such as you could kill the beast, much less be the Queen's personal guard."

You glared at the man sitting before you. The tone in his voice was mocking you, challenging you. He didn't think you would show him your scars. Well, you would prove him wrong.

You quickly slipped your right arm out of your sleeve, turned to your side, and pulled the hem of your shirt up to your shoulder. The purple and red scars on your bicep and side practically glared at the King sitting calmly in his seat. A small gasp escaped Elsa and Anna's lips at your rash behavior.

"Well, satisfied?"

The King, now completely calm and complacent, let his eyes map out your exposed skin. "Well, well," he reached out and traced one of the claw marks on your arm, "it would seem that I have been proven wrong. I apologize for doubting your capabilities, m'Lady. It would appear that you are quite the huntress. Did you kill the beast with that bow on your back?"

You flinched away from the man's touch in disgust and covered yourself up. "No, I killed it with the dagger in my boot. I had intended on killing it with an arrow, but it attacked Queen Elsa and Princess Anna before I had the chance to."

"I see." King Brynjolf smirked at you. "Tell me, sweet lady. Are you as good a rider as you are a hunter?"

You felt a wave of heat explode across your face as your stomach rolled with disgust. "I beg your pardon?"

King Brynjolf chuckled slightly. "My apologies, Miss. I didn't intend for that to sound so lewd. What I meant to say was: Are you as avid a horseback rider as you are a hunter?"

"Honeycomb is the best rider in Arendelle!" Anna exclaimed. Her eyes were filled with rebellious determination as she stared the King down. "No one can ride faster than her!"

A crude spark twinkled in the King's eyes at what Anna just proclaimed. You covered your eyes with your hand and groaned. She really needed to think before she blurted things out like that.

"Is that so?" King Brynjolf gazed back up at you smugly. "I would like to witness this spectacular talent while I am visiting Arendelle. Farkas is quite the rider himself. I am sure the two of you could teach each other a few tricks.

"But enough of that," the King suddenly stood from the table. "I believe Her Majesty and I have very important matters to discuss. Farkas!"

The man dressed in black stepped away from the wall. "Yes, My King?"

"Keep this woman company whilst the Queen and I conduct our business." His eyes flashed to you. "I do not want us to be _disturbed_ while we discuss politics."

"As you wish," Farkas bowed deeply.

You glowered at the disgusting king as he offered Elsa his hand. The queen politely rejected the gesture and led the way to her study with Anna and King Brynjolf trailing close behind. Never in your life had you been so happy that the princess had suddenly taken such an interest in the kingdom's affairs.

The door closed with a soft click, leaving you alone in the dining room with Farkas. The dark haired man walked up to you awkwardly and cleared his throat.

"I must say that I admire your courage," he complimented shyly. "Most women I know who would lift their shirts to my brother do so because he managed to seduce them. I don't know if I should consider you extremely brave, or incredibly ignorant."

You stared at Farkas in confusion and slight irritation. "I will take your insult as a compliment. Now, if you'll excuse me. I have other matters to attend to."

You turn on your heel and walk briskly to the door; more than aware of the black haired puppy practically nipping at your heels. It had only been a day and you were already tired of the King. You had to get him out of Arendelle and soon; before the King from the Land of Coals mysteriously wound up at the bottom of the fjord.

* * *

**A double upload! WOO! I hope you all enjoy the two chapters I've uploaded today. I have a few more sitting on standby and was so excited to see what you all thought about it that I couldn't wait until next week!**


	13. Challenge

_THWACK!_

You drew another arrow and pulled back against the resisting string. "Who does that ignorant-"

_THWACK!_

"-conniving-"

_THWACK!_

"-bastard think he is?"

_THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!_

You panted slightly as you stared at the nearly invisible target standing at the other end of the field. Twenty arrow feathers had completely replaced the red bull's-eye in the middle of the circle. You had definitely improved in your archery, not that you really needed to get better.

You just needed a new way of venting your frustration. King Brynjolf and his brother had been in Arendelle for nearly two weeks, and in that time the barbaric man had managed to become the most hated man in the city. Between his nightly visits to the local whore house (sneaking out when he thought everyone was asleep), insulting nearly every merchant at the market, laughing at how "weak" the knights were when they refused to spar with him because he was the king of another land and didn't want to start an international dispute, and getting hands-y with the maids in the castle, the King of the Land of Coals had made himself public enemy number one. He had even gone so far as to state how much of a waste it was that you were a bastard; apparently you would have been perfect breeding stock if you had just been a legitimate child.

Sure, you had voiced your complaints to the Queen; you and Anna both had. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do about it. After Elsa had rejected the King's wedding proposal halfway through the first week, his ship "mysteriously" sustained damage and needed to be repaired before he could leave. Now he was trying harder than ever to win her heart, or at least find a way to sneak into her bed.

You knew he was pushing more towards the latter. Ever since King Brynjolf arrived in Arendelle, you had used your powers to transform into a cat and staked yourself outside of Elsa's bedroom every night. On more than one occasion, you caught the visiting king creeping down the hall to Her Majesty's quarters and try to pick the lock to her door. And each and every time you had hissed and spat angrily at the man; making as much ruckus as you possibly could until either the light in the queen's room turned on or the foul beast retreated to his room before someone came to see what the commotion was about.

However, two nights ago the King had come to Elsa's bedroom with a plan. Before you even had the chance to curl your lips back, you were shoved into a burlap sack and kicked over the railing. Your left shoulder still ached from when you crashed onto the floor below.

That had been the last straw. You transformed back into your original body and manifested a new outfit out of thin air before leaping up to the railing as silent as a phantom. You glared at the man in disgust as you watched him pick the lock. It was only when an excited huff of laughter escaped the King's throat when he finally unlocked the door that you said anything.

"You have exactly half a second to get away from Her Majesty's door before I slit your throat."

Oh, the look on the King's face had been absolutely priceless when he jumped and whirled around to see you glowering at him from atop the railing. His face had gone completely white as his eyes nearly bulged out of his head. He had given you some excuse about needing to use the restroom and how he accidentally got lost.

You called him out on his bluff, knowing full well it was a lie, and pinned him to the wall. You had told him that if you ever caught him trying to break into Elsa's room again, you would see to it that his ship sunk on his way home. He hadn't even bothered to try and call your bluff, because he knew you weren't lying. The murderous intent in your eyes was more than enough to prove that you would keep to your word.

You haven't seen the disgusting King pass by Elsa's room since; not even during the day.

The muffled crunch of boots stepping on newly fallen snow reached your ears and you pulled a dagger out of the waistline of your breeches. You spun around with the blade pointing towards your attacker. Wide, dark eyes and jet black hair filled your vision and you stopped just before the tip of your knife punctured Farkas's neck.

"_**Farkas!**_" You replaced the knife into your waistline and smiled apologetically at your friend. "Sorry about that. I thought you were a bandit or something. What are you doing here?"

A bead of sweat rolled down Farkas's face as a plume of his frosted breath filled the air. "Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. I just saw you shooting arrows and…well…I was wondering if maybe you would like some company."

Elsa gazed at you longingly from under the armory's canopy. She barely got to see you for the past two weeks. The King of the Land of Coals was a very demanding man who constantly stole her away in her free time in a desperate attempt to convince her to accept his marriage proposal.

Since King Brynjolf was constantly accompanying her wherever she went, with Anna's supervision of course, you had become good friends with the King's guard. She would occasionally glance out the window of wherever she and her suitor were in the castle and often see you smiling and laughing heartily as you romped playfully with the dark haired man. There were times where she wondered if she had even seen love in your eyes as the two of you either rode horse back together or practiced your swordplay.

The queen sighed heavily as her heart pulled in two directions. She had managed to persuade Anna to distract King Brynjolf so she could spend some time with you, but you looked more than happy laughing and talking with Farkas. She didn't blame you though; he was a very handsome man, and he could connect with you on a level she never could.

After all, she was a queen; not a bastard. She could never understand what you had gone through in life. Farkas, on the other hand, could.

She watched as you quirked an eyebrow questioningly at the handsome man standing in front of you. Farkas smiled innocently and made a strange gesture with his hands. You merely sighed and rolled your eyes before letting them fall shut. And before she could do anything to stop it, the bastard prince kissed you tenderly on the lips.

Her heart completely shattered in her chest. She quickly looked away when she felt a large hand settle on her shoulder.

"It would seem that our guards have quite the thing for each other," King Brynjolf stated matter-of-factly. "Isn't that wonderful? Young love, I mean. It's a shame that we have to separate them."

Elsa stared emotionlessly at the hand on her shoulder. "Yes," she hesitantly placed her hand on top of the King's. "It would be a shame to separate them."

You felt something warm and soft on your lips and immediately shoved Farkas away from you. "_**Farkas**__, what the fuck?_" You wiped your mouth off on your sleeve.

Farkas blinked confusingly at you. "What's wrong? I thought you liked me?"

You furrowed your eyebrows at him. "Yeah, as a _friend_! I'm sorry, but don't think of you as anything more than that!"

A small frown pulled at the corners of Farkas's mouth. "Dammit, Brynjolf isn't going to like this. Now what am I going to do?"

You grabbed the bastard's coat collar and held him just high enough to make him stand on his tip-toes. "Say that again. What isn't Brynjolf going to like?"

Farkas's eyes widened as he realized his mistake. His heart was fluttering in his chest from the close proximity between the two of you. The intensity of your eyes was causing his resolve to falter.

There was no way he could lie to you. He swallowed hard against the dryness in his throat. "B-Brynjolf told me on the journey here that I was supposed to seduce you."

You pulled him down so he was closer to you. "What?"

Farkas nodded shamefully. "I was instructed to win your heart because Brynjolf knew that if he couldn't win Queen Elsa over through his usual methods. He would have to find another way to anchor himself here. He knew that you and the Queen are close friends; it's widely known in many kingdoms. So he thought that if I could court you and convince you to marry me, the Queen would accept his proposal so you would be happy."

You dropped the black haired man and turned to the armory. Your blood nearly boiled with rage when you saw King Brynjolf leaning down to kiss Elsa. Her face was completely blank of any emotion as she just stood there like a porcelain doll.

"Brynjolf," you growled menacingly as you stormed your way to the canopy.

Farkas scrambled to his feet and grasped your hand. "Look, please, don't go! I know that I said that I was under my brother's orders, but I truly do love you! Please, please, just give me a chance! We can run away together and not have to worry about Brynjolf or Queen Elsa-"

You punched the bastard square in the jaw, knocking him to the ground. "_Fuck off!_ If you think I'd believe you after everything you just said, you must be a complete _lunatic_!"

You continued marching towards the armory's canopy. Steam was billowing out of your mouth and nose in the crisp, cool air. "BRYNJOLF!"

The King stopped mere centimeters away from Elsa's lips and looked up to see you storming towards them. It must have been colder out than he thought. Frost was rolling from your mouth like smoke from a dragon's jaws.

"Ah, my dear lady," he greeted warmly. "What joyous news do you bring the Queen and I?"

You cracked your knuckles across the King's jaw, slicing the skin wide open on his teeth, and stood in front of Elsa protectively. "Don't pull that bullshit with me! First I catch you trying to break into Elsa's bedchambers at night, and then I find out you ordered your own _**brother**_ to seduce me just so you could use Her Majesty's emotions to your advantage! What kind of a sick, twisted man does that?"

Elsa's eyes widen in shock. "He did what?"

"You heard me!" You bark angrily as you point at the exposed King struggling to get back onto his feet. "I caught him trying to break into your bedroom the other night, and Farkas just told me that he was told to seduce me so you would accept this bastard's proposal!"

The King stood on wobbly legs and rubbed his already bruising chin. "My dear lady, surely you do not believe the lies my guard told you? He is nothing but a bastard. We all know how untrustworthy they are. I would never plot such an indignant scheme."

"From my personal experience, bastards tend to tell the truth more than those of royal birth," Elsa nearly growled at the man in front of her. She threaded her arm through yours and held it tight. "My friend here happens to be a bastard, or have you forgotten?"

King Brynjolf chuckled awkwardly. "I didn't mean that all bastards tell lies, My Queen. I merely meant that-"

"Save it," you scolded. "As the Queen's personal guard, I will escort you to your ship. You will leave Arendelle at once."

"Oh, but only the Queen can give that order," the King taunted. "Besides, you have no proof that I did anything wrong. I told you the other night that I had gotten lost on my way to the lavatory, and the only other person who could say anything against me is a bastard. No one will believe either of you."

You snarled at the King viciously. As much as you hated to admit it, he was right. You were accusing a royal of some very heinous crimes, and the only people who knew the truth were both bastards. No one would believe either of you. How could you prove this man to be guilty?

A wild thought flashed through your mind. It was a tactic your mother had taught you as a little girl. She had learned it watching the animals of the forests for so many years. Your father had seen how useful it was and tweaked it enough to conform to the royal court.

"If you are truly innocent, then you will not be afraid to partake in a battle of champions."

The King stared at you skeptically. "I am afraid I have never heard of such a thing. Exactly what is it?"

"A battle of champions is just as it sounds," you explain curtly. "When someone accuses another person of being guilty of a crime, the two will prove their innocence with a fight to the death. If the accused is innocent, then they win. If they are guilty, then they die.

"Since we are dealing with royalty and do not want a full out war, I suggest that we fight until someone calls the match. If I win, you and your brother will leave Arendelle by sundownand never return. Do we have a deal?"

King Brynjolf scratched at his whiskers for a moment. "Now that you explain it, I believe I have heard of this technique before. Yes, the King of Fire Blood Rock often battles champions to see who is innocent. It always works out well for him. Very well, I accept your challenge. However, what do I get when I win?"

You furrow your brow skeptically. "What would you like?"

The King smirked as his eyes wandered over your body. "Are you a virgin, my dear?"

A loud gasp sounded from Elsa's throat.

You glared at the disgusting creature in front of you. "I can proudly proclaim that I have never taken a man to bed. Yes."

"Then what I want is simple," the King scoffed. "When I prove my innocence, your maiden head will be mine. You will return to the Land of Coals with me and serve as another woman in my harem. Are we at an accord?" He held his hand out.

Elsa grasped your sleeve. "No, you can't do that. I won't let you."

You smiled at the Queen tenderly. "Hey, don't worry. I took down that bear, and he was bigger than this little bitch. I can handle this."

You turn back to King Brynjolf and grasped his wrist tightly. "Deal."

* * *

**Hello Dears! Not much for an Author's Note today except for one thing: Let the games begin :)**


	14. Fight!

You rummaged through one of the chests locked in the shop located next to your forge like a bandit searching for hidden treasures. Your shop, which doubled as your house, hunting shack, and jewelry store, was located in the mountain forest overlooking Arendelle, just off a less beaten path. You preferred it this way. It allowed you to work without any distractions. It also made sure that those who wanted to exploit your skills meant business.

You could only imagine the crowd of people had gathered in the town square where you knew your adversary was waiting for you; more than likely with a haughty grin plastered on his smug face. After accepting your challenge, King Brynjolf had insisted on making the fight public so everyone could watch his stunning victory. "Oh, there's going to be a victory alright. It's just not going to be his."

You pulled your custom made chainmail from the trunk's contents and slipped it over your head. Despite the fact that you hadn't worn the piece of armor in over four years, you were surprised to find that the glimmering steel shirt still fit perfectly, minus the fact that the sleeves cut off mid-forearm. A small swell of pride ballooned in your chest at your piece of work as the black steel glimmered with a dull blue and off shade of crimson hue in the light filtering through the window.

The fact that you were able to cast anything flawlessly in nearly a fourth of the time other smiths could was because you had a more…_magical _advantage, but even then this piece of armor had taken you the same amount of time to link it together that a master smith would take to create the same piece. It was lighter than a feather, but stronger than any other metal in the kingdom. You had spent tedious, almost painstaking hours as you forged the metal with dragon's fire (which was incredibly difficult to find in Arendelle) and infused it with your own magic so only you, and those you gave permission to, could wear it.

The dragon, a mountainous brute who had scoffed at you when you had asked for his fire, had nearly roasted you like a suckling pig when you reached the mountain peak where he resided. That hadn't deterred you, though. After realizing that talking with him wasn't going to work, you had battled with the beast for three full days, being forced to resort to using your magic after breaking your sword and dagger and snapping your bow in half, before he yielded and granted you the use of his fire. You still hiked up to the peak every once in a while with a fine goat carcass to give him as thanks and to keep good feelings.

"This is crazy even for you!" Anna exclaimed from atop of the counter as you strutted passed her to the weapon's rack that held your personal arsenal of swords, daggers, maces, bows, and Warhammers. "You know Brynjolf isn't going to be satisfied with a simple match call to decide who wins! He's going to try and _kill_ you!"

You pulled your favorite sword, a half-long sword that was as long as the distance from the middle of your chest to the tips of your fingers with the hilt, and strapped it to your belt. "I know, and I don't care. That just means that I'll have to make his defeat as quick and humiliating as possible."

Anna grumbled kicked her legs indignantly. "_Fine!_ But if you're going to insist on this suicide attempt, at least put on a helmet, some gauntlets, or steel boots, or _**something**_! Brynjolf's going to slice right through that chainmail and cleave you in two!"

You tied your grey, black, and white speckled wolf fur around your neck and smirked at the princess. "Better?"

"_That's not what I meant!_" Anna was sobbing now. Tears had yet to fall from her eyes, but you could tell they were about to.

You furrowed your brow in confusion and walked over to the shivering princess; cupping her cheeks in your hands so she was looking at you. "Anna, what's gotten into you? I've never seen you act so upset before, and that's saying something considering you sure knew how to throw a fit when you would finally snap from being separated from Elsa as a kid. What's wrong?"

Anna finally broke down into tears as she flung her arms around your neck and showered your face with kisses before nearly choking you in a hug. "I don't want you to die! I love you, Honeycomb! I truly love you! Not in a romantic way, but like a sister! You stepped in when Elsa wasn't there and made the castle feel less empty! You filled the missing place in my heart and now you share that spot with Elsa! And…and…"

She wailed and held you tighter. "_**I just don't want you to die!**_ _I couldn't stand to lose a sister again! So, please, please, __**please**__, don't go through with this!_"

You wrapped your arms around the sniveling princess choking you. You could feel her tears leaking through your mail and seeping through the grey, wool shirt underneath. How could you have forgotten Anna? You had been so focused on, selfishly, keeping Elsa from having to marry King Brynjolf that you hadn't even considered the strawberry blonde's feelings.

After a few minutes of letting the Anna cry on your shoulder, you gently pried her arms from your neck and held her hands. "If you truly view me as your sister, then you need to trust and support me in this," you cooed soothingly as you wiped the tears from the freckles on the girl's cheeks. "Brynjolf won't kill me in this fight, he has other plans for me if he wins, but he probably will try to kill me once he's done with me."

Anna hiccupped and you could tell she was about to go into another hysterical bout of tears. "But, do you know what?"

The princess sniffed. "What?"

You smirked and kissed her forehead before ruffling her hair playfully. "I'm going to run that mangy mutt out of Arendelle with his tail tucked between his legs. He's going to be licking his wounds all the way to the Land of Coals while he cries to his mama and sucks his thumb at night."

Anna laughed slightly and smiled at you.

"There's that smile I like to see." You pulled the younger girl down from the counter and glanced outside. It was snowing hard, but you knew it wasn't Old Man Winter causing it. "We better get going before Elsa plunges Arendelle into another eternal winter."

* * *

Elsa worried her lip to the point where the raw skin was almost bleeding as she watched the road diligently. You were nowhere to be found and Anna had disappeared as well. Everyone in the square was getting anxious, well, everyone except for one man.

"It would appear that your guard is too afraid to face me," King Brynjolf guffawed. He was clad in heavy armor that made him look like he was about to go to war from his shoulders down. A great claymore was strapped to his hip and his maroon cloak flew behind him as the winter wind blew in his face. "Shall we just forfeit the match and dub me the victor?"

The queen whirled on him and glared with venomous, blue eyes. "She will be here! She just had to go to her shop and adorn her armor!"

King Brynjolf blinked and smirked at her smugly. "It has been over an hour, Your Majesty. I highly doubt your knight in shining armor is coming. Perhaps now that she is out of the way, we can finally get to know one another without any interruptions."

Elsa was about to say something very unprofessional to the boisterous King when a howl shattered the air. She turned back to the road and the storm let up just enough for her to see you riding on Summit's back as he ran towards the square at break-neck speed. Anna was riding in a small, single person sleigh strapped to the wolf's harness.

The blizzard stopped all together when the wolf stopped in the middle of the crowed, his bright red tongue lolling from his mouth, and you dismounted gracefully. You smiled warmly at the Queen before helping Anna out of the sleigh and returning her to her sister.

"Hey! Sorry it took us so long! Damn royals have absolutely no sense of direction!"

Anna punched you in the shoulder and winced as she inflicted more pain on herself than to you. "That's not fair! It was literally a blizzard on the way here! I don't even know how you were able to find our way back!"

You laughed heartily and turned to Elsa. "I hope you weren't beginning to think I wasn't going to show. That snowstorm you conjured up sure made it difficult to get back."

Elsa smiled and resisted the urge to throw her arms around your shoulders. "I never once doubted you," she suddenly realized what you were wearing, "but I will doubt your common sense. You're not honestly going to fight with just a chainmail shirt, are you?"

You don't say anything. You merely wink at the flabbergasted queen and strut your way to the fighting circle; your gaze turning from proud and confident to furious as soon as your eyes landed on King Brynjolf. "I didn't keep you waiting, did I?"

"As a matter of fact, you did," the King huffed irritably. He looked over your attire and scoffed. "You're going to fight me in _that?_ This will end sooner than I thought."

The royal armory master stepped into the circle. "Alright, we all know the rules. There will be absolutely no killing in this match. The fight will be called when your opponent yields, is knocked from the ring, or when I call the match. Is that clear?"

The King nodded. "Aye."

You smiled wickedly. "Crystal."

"Very well," the armory master stepped back. "Fighters at the ready!"

King Brynjolf crouched and curled his fingers around the hilt of his sword. You took note of his lowered center of gravity and shifted so your right leg was behind your left in a T stance; allowing your weight to shift so it was on your toe. Unlike the haughty king, you only allowed two of your fingers to rest on the handle of your weapon.

The armory master glanced at the two of you and threw his arm down. "_FIGHT!_"

Just as you had expected, the King roared as he lunged at you. He drew his sword when he was within critical striking distance and brought it down with enough force to crack the cobblestone street beneath you. He had missed.

You had merely twirled out of the way, using your back foot as a pivot point. Once you were behind the utterly confused king, you drew your sword. A loud gasp spread through the crowd as you spanked Brynjolf with the flat edge of your blade.

The King blinked in confusion and flushed bright red in a mixture of humiliation and rage. He spun around so he was facing you and lowered his sword. "What kind of trickery is this? I thought this was a fight, not a game to see who could spank their competitor the most!"

You smirked and twirled the sword in your hand. "I'd apologize, but I wouldn't mean it. You see. I saw this disrespectful, arrogant child suddenly charge at me, so I decided to punish him. I don't think he took to the strike too well, though. By the look on his face, he looks like he's about to charge again."

And he did.

King Brynjolf screamed in frustration as he launched himself at you, swinging his sword haphazardly as he advanced. You could feel an aggressive gust of wind whirl around you as you dodged each blow effortlessly. You knew perfectly well that if a single one of his strikes connected with you it would mean trouble.

You felt the edge of the circle against your heel and stopped. Your opponent glared at you, steam was billowing from his mouth as he panted in exhaustion. There was a wild look in his eyes that proved that he had lost all capacity to think clearly.

"Now you're mine!" King Brynjolf roared as he sprinted towards you. The tip of his blade glinted in the cold afternoon air.

You huffed amusingly as you used your free hand to push the oncoming blade to your left, redirecting the King's direction of travel. Again, you twirled on the balls of your feet as you pushed your opponent's weapon. You grasped the hilt of your sword with both hands and, once again, spanked Brynjolf with a full swing of the flat edge of your blade; causing him to land flat on his face outside of the circle.

The crowd roared with laughter and whistles as the armory master fought his own bout of chuckles and raised his hand. "The victory goes to Arendelle!"

You smiled and turned to face the Queen and Princess. Anna was jumping as she punched the air and cheered your name in a chant. Elsa, though much more restrained than her sister, was bouncing on the balls of her feet and clapping her hands vigorously. Tears could be seen misting her eyes as she discreetly blew you a kiss.

You blushed and were about to run up to the two sisters when a wave of gasps silenced the audience. A loud roar filled the air and you felt something sharp slice past your right side. You glanced down in horror to see the defeated King's sword trying to saw its way through your chainmail.

"You **bitch**!" King Brynjolf exclaimed. "I'll teach you not to humiliate me!" He swiped his sword briskly to the left and threw you to the ground.

Pain shot through your body as you collided with the frozen ground. You knew there would definitely be a bruise where the blade had struck you, but there wasn't a doubt in your mind that your left shoulder was dislocated from the impact. You rolled onto your back and were immediately met with the sight of Brynjolf's sword plummeting down to meet your face.

You quickly drew your sword and blocked the oncoming attack. Your left shoulder screamed in agony as you used it to help hold your blade in place, but it did little good. The King was far stronger than you, and his brute strength was forcing his sword to inch closer and closer to your throat.

King Brynjolf grinned wildly at you. His eyes were filled with bloodlust as he licked his lips. "I may have lost, but I'm not leaving Arendelle without your head. It might not be the one I was hoping for, but I think that beautiful face of yours would look wonderful sitting on a spike atop of my castle wall."

You felt the cool edge of his sword gently press against your neck. There was no way you could get the upper hand in this position. Only your forearms were able to move at your trapped elbows as you tried desperately to push the blade back. You couldn't even hinge at the waist to push the King straddling your knees off of you.

"_Wait a second!" _You hiked your knees up to your chest and kicked Brynjolf in the crotch like a mule.

The King howled in pain and dropped his sword as he landed on top of you in agonizing pain. This was your chance. You rolled the disgusting man off of you, straddling his waist as you did so, and pulled the dagger out of your boot.

A sharp wail of pain emanated through the air as you brought the blade down and stabbed the conniving King in his right shoulder where there was a chink in his armor. Steam wafted up from the blood spurting out onto your hands. You didn't even flinch as a few droplets of the crimson life nectar shot onto your cheek.

You knelt down and bared your teeth at the King; seeing just how ferocious you looked in the reflection you saw in his wide, fear and pain filled eyes. "You lost. Now leave Arendelle and never return. If I ever see you step foot in the kingdom ever again, I will tie you up and haul you to the north. Where I will leave your battered and beaten body tied to a boulder and watch as the saber cats rip you limb from limb and devour you while you're still breathing. Is that in anyway unclear?"

The pitiful King shook his head weakly and whimpered in fear.

"Good." You ripped the dagger from his shoulder and punched him across the jaw; knocking him out. "God, that whining was getting irritating."

You stood from the King and walked over to where Farkas stood while the Land of Coals doctors rushed to their king's side. "Take your brother home," you ordered. "You have until dawn."

Farkas nodded dutifully at you and bowed. "Yes, m'Lady," he stood upright and blushed, "and I'm glad you're okay. I was about to step in myself to stop him when he had you pinned."

You huffed and rested your hand on your dislocated shoulder. "I'm flattered, but I don't need a knight in shining armor to save me. I'm more than capable of taking care of myself." A faint blush colored your cheeks. "But thank you."

You walked back to Elsa and Anna, forcing your shoulder back into place with an audible crack, and were nearly toppled over by the Princess.

"_DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN!" _Anna cried as she buried her face into your chest.

You couldn't help but smile fondly at the younger girl. "Anna, relax. I'm fine."

"_Almost getting your head cut off isn't fine!_" She wailed.

"Anna, release our champion. If she said she is fine, then she is fine."

The two of you snapped your heads towards the Queen. She was calm and collected, but there was an uneasy aura swirling around her as she walked up to you.

"Besides, I have something I would like to say as well."

Anna reluctantly released her hold of your neck and backed away. You shifted anxiously on your feet as Elsa sauntered up to you with a newfound air of regality that you had never seen her possess before. It was unnerving, yet oddly arousing to see her hold so much power in something as simple as a walk.

She stopped when she was a step away from you and gazed into your eyes. That was when you noticed that her deep, blue irises were misted over with tears and worry. You felt your heart clench for making her and Anna worry so much.

"Elsa, I'm-"

_SLAP!_

Your world suddenly shifted as your head snapped to the right. A strong, cold and stinging sensation immediately erupted across your cheek as you exhaled with a painful wheeze and gently touched your fingers to the ice coated, reddening skin on your face. Did she _have_ to cover her hand in ice first?

"You _idiot! _You smug, over-adulterated, sly, enchanting, beautiful_...UGH!_ Do you have _any_ idea how _worried_ I was?" The Queen shrieked.

A soft smile coveted your lips, making the stinging in your cheek increase. You couldn't keep the slight giggle from escaping your lips. "You think I'm beautiful?"

Elsa glared at you with a pout that rivaled Anna's. "Not when your face is uneven," she motioned to the bright red handprint on your left cheek. "Allow me to fix that for you." Ice formed on her left palm and she drew her hand back.

_SLAP!_

* * *

**Geez, after all the work you do, Elsa slaps you like a b*tch! But it shows how much she loves and cares for you...I guess. Hahaha! Sorry if the fight wasn't as epic as you guys might have hoped, but there will be more battles to come with even better fight scenes. I promise you that!**


	15. Time for a Trip

"You can't possibly mean it," you gasp.

"Oh, but I do," Anna cooed. The impish smirk on her face was more than enough to prove that she meant business. She was going to make sure that you obeyed her order.

"No, no, I can't!"

"You can!"

"I won't!"

"You will!"

Elsa smiled and rolled her eyes. "Anna, if she does not want to do it, you cannot force her to do it."

Anna pouted at her sister sitting on the marble bench in the snow covered garden. "How come _she _gets chicken outs? I had to practically freeze to death because she dared me to jump into the frozen pond!"

"You only started complaining after you jumped in," You informed diligently. "If you had protested to begin with, I wouldn't have forced you to do it."

"That's not now Truth or Dare works!" Anna fumed as she pounded her mitted fists against the frozen earth. "If you pick dare, you have to do it! If you pick truth, you have to tell the truth! No exceptions!"

You smiled softly. "I don't know, Anna. Using my magic to your benefit, that seems a little conniving if you ask me."

"But, but, but," Anna flopped onto your lap. "You used to do it when we were younger! Please, Honeycomb? Please, please, please, please, _**please?**_"

A defeated sigh blew past your lips and you slipped the Princess's pink bonnet over her eyes. "Alright, you win! Just get off of me so I can do it."

"Yes!" Anna scrambled off of you and joined Elsa on the stone bench. The royal sisters watched excitedly as you eased yourself up from your cozy snow bed.

You couldn't help but smile at Elsa and Anna's obvious excitement. The three of you had decided to spend the whole day together in celebration of King Brynjolf's departure three weeks ago. A messenger had arrived early that morning with a letter stating that the King of the Land of Coals had safely arrived in his kingdom a week and a half ago.

Despite the fact that the crisp, late December air nipped at your and Anna's skin, you had all had a wonderful time laughing, joking, playing, and reminiscing about the past in the snow covered garden. It made you feel like a kid again. Just being around the Queen and Princess without the worries and restrictions of class and duty was the greatest feeling in the world.

You clasped your warm wolf pelt tighter around your neck and pointed at the two royals. "I'm only going to do this once, so you better pay attention. I'm getting too old for this."

"Hey, I take offense to that," Elsa huffed indignantly.

"Sorry, Elsa," you laughed warmly. "I often forget that you're the same age as me."

"Technically, I am older than you by a few months," Elsa pointed out. "We will be the same age in a week though."

You grumbled to yourself. "Really? You had to go there?"

Elsa smiled innocently. "My dear guard, I am afraid that I haven't the slightest clue what you mean. I was simply making a simple statement based off of the fact that your birthday is next week."

A loud gasp filled the air as Anna nearly leapt to her feet. "That's right! It's Honeycomb's birthday next week!" She turned to Elsa and grabbed her hands. "We have to throw her a party!"

"The hell you are!" You spat. "No parties!"

Anna stared at you with big, wet, puppy eyes.

"It's either I do this, or you throw a party," you negotiated as you turned your palms up. "Take your pick, Little Red."

The Princess was torn as she weighed her options. On the one hand she could throw you a party; on the other she could see your magic first hand again. After a full minute of silence, she threw her hands in the air and huffed exaggeratedly. "FINE! I want this!"

You rolled your eyes and shook your head. You knew Anna wasn't going to pass up the chance to see your magic. After all, she hadn't seen this power in over three years.

"Alright," cracked your fingers and shook out your hands. "Are you guys ready?"

Anna and Elsa both nodded vigorously and huddled closer together.

You plastered your palms together and steam quickly enveloped your body. The smell of fresh dirt and grass filled your nostrils and you shot streams of green light at the ground. Clear, emerald bubbles rose into the air as you swept the beams of magic in a large circle, smirking to yourself as you heard Elsa and Anna giggle when you "accidentally" let the waves of green wash over them.

The snow began to disperse as emerald green grass manifested under your feet. Brownish red vines littered with bright green leaves and flowers sprung out of the ground. You snapped your fingers and small butterflies made out of starlight fluttered from your fingertips. Anna and Elsa giggled girlishly as the star made insects floated through the air before landing on either the flowers or on them.

Anna squealed in delight and threw herself face first onto the grass; stripping herself of her winter clothes as she basked in the sudden warmth that only filled the circle. She wiggled her fingers at a few of the green bubbles that rose up from the ground and rolled onto her back. "I love this spell!"

Elsa's face fell slightly. "I thought you liked my snow powers."

Anna jolted upright. "I do! It's just that I think it's really cool when seasons clash like this. I love it when you use your powers to make the ice rink in the castle courtyard in the summer, but Honey's spring time magic helps get through the winter dull-drums. Do you know what I mean?"

A slight chuckle permeated the air as Elsa smiled at her sister. "Anna, relax, I was only teasing. Believe it or not, I do have a playful side too."

"You sure fooled me!" Anna laughed.

"Hey!" Elsa exclaimed. "I'm not completely all work and no play! I know how to have fun!"

You stripped off your wolf pelt and gloves and lay on the ground. "We believe you, Elsa. We're just saying that you don't show it often, is all."

A firm pout set on Elsa's face. "Well, pardon me if I tend to do less risky things for entertainment. That is more your and Anna's idea of fun."

"Reading and playing chess aren't fun!" Anna groaned. "They're boring! Honey does all sorts of cool stuff!"

"I do not," you defended modestly.

Anna squirreled around so she was on her hands and knees facing you. A heavy pout was set on her face. "You do too! You play with your magic, ride horses, rough house with the kids in town, sword fight, and make so many cool things out of leather, metal, and precious gems!"

You rolled your eyes. "I never play games, Anna. The only time I have to "do cool stuff" and mess around is when I'm with you, and sometimes Elsa. Otherwise I am constantly working. Between keeping the pelt supply up, managing the forge, working in the stables and at the kennel, making jewelry, and protecting you and Elsa while attending those dull council meetings ; I rarely have time to have fun….Actually, now that I think about all the stuff that I have to do, I have to go north early in the morning."

Anna and Elsa gawked at you and shouted in unison. "Wait._** What?**_"

"Summit is fully mature," you explained sheepishly. "So I need to find him a mate. As the next in line to be the Guardian of the Godswood, it's my responsibility to make sure that the dire wolves reproduce and prosper. It'll only be a day trip. I'll be back shortly after the second sunrise. You won't even know I'm gone"

"But the northern lands where you come from are so far away!" Anna exclaimed. "How can you make it a day trip?"

You shrugged. "I leave from my house before the first grey light of dawn, and I'll get there in approximately two to three hours. It doesn't take me very long to get from place to place."

Elsa gazed at you skeptically. She could pinpoint all of your ticks just as much as you could point out hers. The way your back was tensed meant that there was something you weren't telling them. A small frown tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"_She promised not to keep any secrets from us anymore,"_ she thought sullenly.

Gerda came out into the garden and bowed to the three of them. "Pardon my intrusion, Your Majesty, but Ice Master Kristoff is here to see Princess Anna. He is waiting by the front gates."

"He is?" Anna beamed and sprung to her feet, trying desperately to dress in her winter clothes as she scampered out of the spring circle; all thoughts about their previous discussion obviously forgotten. "I'll see you guys later! Honeycomb, you better not leave before I get the chance to give you a hug goodbye."

"Don't worry! I won't!" You laugh heartily as you wave at the eager princess.

As soon as Anna disappeared, you feel something cold on your shoulder. You turn to see Elsa staring at you warily. The sight causes your heart to clench painfully.

"You're hiding something," Elsa stated flatly.

You turn your head and stare at the ground shamefully. "I am."

Elsa scanned your facial features and placed her hand on your cheek, turning your head towards her so you are gazing in each other's eyes. "Why? You promised you wouldn't hide anymore secrets."

"I know," you sigh heavily, "but it is not my place to reveal this one. For their protection, I have to keep their identity hidden. If people knew what existed in this kingdom, they would try to kill them. It's my duty to keep them safe."

"So it's a Godswood ordeal?"

You nodded. "Yes. It is."

Elsa felt a lump rise in her throat. She could feel tears pricking at her eyes, but she held them back. "And you don't trust me enough to let me know more about things that directly deal with your succession or your responsibilities?"

You whipped your head around and stared at the Queen in shock. "No! That's not it at all! It's just…you won't understand!"

"Why wouldn't I understand?" Elsa quipped. "I am the Queen of Arendelle! I probably know more about royal responsibilities than you do!"

She slapped her hand against her mouth in a desperate attempt to pull the words back. A pained expression spread across your face and she immediately regretted ever letting her temper getting the best of her. "Honey, I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"That's the thing with you royals," you drone dully as you rip your shoulder from Elsa's hand. "You don't think that we commoners know what it takes to make responsible decisions. You forget that I was born the bastard daughter to the King of Fire Blood Rock, that I was your father's ward, that I am the next in line to be the "Queen of the Godswood."

"I accompanied your father as well as my own to military meetings. I probably know more about war and battle tactics than you ever will. I also own my own shop and work Odin knows how many odd jobs around the kingdom because your council orders me to. I know how to manage a business and make sure people do what needs to be done.

"You…you can barely keep your own councilmen from speaking out of turn. They keep information from you, Elsa. I know they do because I see what happens in the kingdom. I hear about the thieves and bandits that attack your subjects on the country roads, and I'm the one who gets sent off to dispose of them. Each and every assignment I've been sent on by the council has never even reached your ears. So, enlighten me, how is it that you know more about royal responsibilities than I do?"

Elsa felt her heart stop. Tears fell from her eyes one by one as your words cut through her. What was worse was that you were right. The incident with the bear should have been proof enough that her council had been keeping secrets from her. And when her councilman insulted you right in front of her just a few weeks ago showed that she had no control over them. She really didn't know what was going on in her own kingdom.

Your heart ripped in two as you saw the tears steadily slide down Elsa's face. A light snowfall had started to bury your spring circle once again in a blanket of snow.

"Elsa?" You ask shyly.

She doesn't respond.

"Elsa, please," you gently place your hand on her shoulder and she flinches at your touch. It feels like someone just stabbed you five times in the gut. Your mouth turns sour with the taste of bile and you pinch your eyes closed to keep the tears from collecting.

"I'm sorry, Elsa," you whimper. "I shouldn't have said any of that. But you really wouldn't understand. If I was following in my father's footsteps, you would. It would practically be the same as your responsibilities; save for a bit more war. The duties of the Godswood guardian are so much different than the tiresome meetings and dignitaries of the Queen of a kingdom."

You gaze at Elsa's shaking body with tear filled eyes. "I wish I could tell you, but there is only so much information I can disclose. Only members of my family can know the full extent of what is expected of us. That was why I never told you about that damn power of mine, or any of my powers except for the one. I shouldn't have even told your father, but the council threatened to kill you if I didn't tell! They thought I had bewitched you and told me that you would be executed right alongside me if I didn't tell them everything!"

Elsa's eyes snapped open. They had threatened to kill her back then? You had gone through all of this just for her?

"The reason I'm not telling you and Anna how I'm going to get to the north is because I know that once Anna finds out, she's going to sneak out of the castle to see." You explain, not noticing Elsa's change in posture. "I can't risk one of the guards finding out and following her."

You turn your attention back to the Queen and sigh regretfully. _"Mighty spirits and old gods of the Godswood, have mercy on this poor fool," _you grumble mentally, not realizing that you had actually whispered it out loud and that Elsa is listening to you intently. _"I can only do so fucking much. I don't want to keep hiding things from these two. I love them both so much. Just, please, for once, give me a break so that I may at least keep them as friends. You have taken more than your fair share from me, just let me have this little bit of happiness."_

You wrap your arms around Elsa's shoulders hesitantly and feel a small weight lift from your shoulders when she doesn't flinch away. You take a deep breath and steam spirals in Elsa's hair as it streams from your nose. The emotions swirling inside of you are causing your magic to ignite, but you can tell that you are no closer to using them than you are to wearing a dress and walking down the aisle of a church.

"You are an amazing queen, Elsa," you admit honestly. "Everyone I talk to in the kingdom agrees with me on that. They all think you're so kind and fair, and that you try too hard to make up for the deep winter that happened this summer. So don't let anyone make you think differently. You try your best, and I know that. I let my emotions get the better of me."

You released the Queen standing in catatonic shock. The snow had stopped falling and Elsa had stopped shaking. You stare at the ground and kneel like the dutiful guard you are.

"I will be taking my leave, now, Your Majesty," you announce professionally. "I will be spending the evening at my house in the mountains to the north. I have already assigned a few of the best guards to take my place while I am gone."

You stood and gently took Elsa's hand. "I will see you soon." You planted a chaste kiss on the Queen's knuckles and quickly strutted away with all the air of a person of unbelievable power trailing behind you.

Elsa stared down at her hand as a bright red blush peppered over her light coating of freckles. You had never opened up to her so much before. Sure, there were times when the two of you had been children that you would wink and let her in on a secret or two, but this was different. You had been so serious and heartfelt about everything you said.

She clenched her hand into a fist and picked up the wolf pelt you had left behind before she gazed in the direction you had gone. A plan formulated in her head as she strutted back to the castle with a new found air of regality and power that she had not had before. "You will be seeing me sooner than you think."

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**Hello Dears! I will apologize ahead of time for any delay I may have uploading new chapters to my stories. It's su-su-summer time! Now I get to focus on working and hanging out with friends! Along with writing my lovely fanfictions, of course ;)**

**Ooooooh, what's the OC/Reader hiding now? **


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